I changed a worn out water pump on my 72 with factory A/C a few weeks back. I had the common stripped 4 small screws. The top 2 I added nuts to the back so they are torqued correctly, but the bottom 2 you can't get to without removing the timing cover. The larger bolts were all torqued properly and I used non hardening Permatex on the gasket. Cap is a correct pressure and maybe a year old, and the cluch fan appears to be fine. It has the normal feel that the fluid stops the spin when you spin by hand, although I haven't tested it by blocking off air to the radiator.

I live in south Florida and it's not as hot now as a month or two ago, but it's still warm. Before, when it was hot out, it barely got above 200, unless in stop and go, and it seemed to "quickly go to 205 or so. Now, It gets 210, maybe 215 in stop and go with A/C on, and seems to take a longer time to cool back down at a steady 40 to 45 mph cruise to just a shade over 200. I know those are not too hot to worry about, but since I have seen a temp increase after the pump change, I wonder how important those other t 2 small screws to the timing cover are. By the way, I didn't strip them, a previous owner did.

I run 50/50 anti freeze, no overflow bottle new 180 degree thermostat and it has NEVER belched even one drop of coolant in the 4 years I have owned it. My old pump had an open impeller, whereas the new pump had what looked like a closed disk. But with the cap off, the coolant seemed to flow normally through the radiator.

One final related question concerning the 4 port vacuum valve on the front of the intake. I think I have it hooked up as it was before. The top verticle port is hooked to the left front of the carb vacuum port, top horizonal port to the upper rear of the carb at the secondaries, middle horizonal port to the vacuum advance and the lower horizonal port has a tee fitting into the vacuum line from the intake to the tramdmission vacuum modulator. Car seems to rum just fine like it always has. Am I hooked up correctly?

Any comments or ideas?

 

Sounds like everything is hooked up right. The only thing those two screws could cause are leaks...
I know for sure water pumps are not created equal. SOme flow better than others.
When it has exceeded 200*, pul over to a safe place, pop the hood and make sure the fan is really blowing some hot air!

 

How much time did you spend making sure it was bled properly?

 

What is the procedure for "bleeding" it? It has gone through at least a dozen heating and cooling cycles, including running the A/C and opening the heater. I have added coolant when needed, but the coolant level is completely stabile now and remains at exactly the same level. And as I said, it just seems "slightly" hotter now, which may be in the efficiency of this particular water pump.

The other concern I had, is just how important are the 4 small screws that mount the water pump. The bolts are properly torqued and I used non hardening Permatex on the gasket. A previous owner had over tightened and stripped the lower 2. The upper two, I added a nut to the back of the timing cover, but the lower 2 are not accessable without removing the timing cover. Again, I have never seen a single drop of coolant come out of the radiator overflow or the new pump. I would assume if it was not holding pressure from those small screws, it would also leak coolant.

 

You may have an air pocket if its jumping to a hi temp quickly!! I stuff a water hose down the radiator neck and force it to overflow a bit to get rid of them!! Your water level should be an inch from the top if you don't have an overflow jug!!