455cutlass1969

ok so i got my latest project almost all together. 1976 455 with C heads lunati bracket master cam 283/283 220/220 .451 .451 going into my 1979 olds cutlass. i got everything installed - motor,trans,radiator, power steering, alt, etc. started to put water into radiator (using water for break in, switch to coolant for driving) and i see a leak dripping. i had to pull the fan off motor along with water pump pulley to see what is going on. so there is a hole about 1/4" in diameter on the bottom side of the pump where the pump shaft it that the pulley bolts onto. the hole under there has water coming out of it and dripping down on the balancer and then dripping on the floor.

so what is this 1/4 hole on the btm of the pump? why is it leaking? any way to fix without removing water pump??? could i put RTV in the hole and plug it? do i need a new water pump?

thanks

Doug

i also i just went out and looked at my 69 cutlass with a 71 455 in it and it has the same hole on the underside of the water pump shaft, though i have never had this kind of leak from that engine

455cutlass1969

i added a picture to the post to show what hole is leaking

mrolds69

It's a "weep" hole to let you know when the front seal is NG. I don't think you can fix it. If it's coming out fast, the seal is toast.

455cutlass1969

thanks mrolds69 for the response. thats what i was thinking, but wanted to check before pulling pump off motor.

tru-blue 442

+1, the seal is toast.

oldcutlass

The water pump unfortunately will need to changed.

455cutlass1969

NAPA has one in stock. Im going to pick it up now