Practically Classics Forum

Hello John, I read your piece in this month's Practical Classics about the Alpine with the noisy water pump.... I’m interested to know what sort of noise and any other symptoms?

The reason I ask.....

I have srs V and I have noise that I think may be associated with the pump. It's difficult to pinpoint but is best described a mechanical thrashing sound but it seems to come from the engine in general, rather than the pump area and is more noticeable on the over run. The reason I suspect the pump is that there seems to excessive play in it, holding the fan blades it 's possible to rock it back and forth causing a noise, but it doesn’t leak or overheat.

It's not very old and I’m reluctant to change it on a whim, any similarities?

Good to hear you’ve got your Alpine back on the road!!

Hi, the easiest way to narrow the noise down to the water pump is to run the engine with the fan belt removed, if the noise still persists then it's either the pump or alternator, but with you saying you have movement in the pulley I would suspect the pump.
John Hayter at the Berkshire Sunbeam Alpine Centre, which is in Lincolnshire!!, can supply reconditioned units on an exchange basis, his number is 01775 670188.

John Simpson.

Grease Monkey wrote:Hi, the easiest way to narrow the noise down to the water pump is to run the engine with the fan belt removed, if the noise still persists then it's either the pump or alternator, .

John, surely it's the other way around? If it was the pump or alternator, I'd expect the noise to disappear when you remove the belt, as these components are no longer rotating!

Good quick diagnosis step though.

Cheers

My bad, Luxobarge, yes it should say disappear It was early when I posted


John Simpson

No Worries.

Agree with the thought about the pump - several times I've had pumps that have totally shot bearings, but still didn't leak - and ones that leaked badly with perfectly good bearings too, come to that.

Cheers!