I'm to the point now where I'm hooking up hoses and wires and filling with fluids and was hoping for first start up this weekend.  Tonight I filled up the radiator with 50/50 and, when full, I noticed I was getting a lot of dripping around the water pump.  Turns out none of the six screws on the back cover plate had been tightened from the factory.  And since the bottom two cannot be accessed with the pump installed, I got to drain the rad and pull the pump.  Dang.  I pulled off the factory gasket and installed the one that came with my engine rebuild kit and gooped it up with copper permatex.  But I don't ever remember having to do this kind of thing with pumps in the past.  Now I know to check.  Maybe this post will save someone else the hassle.

Sorry to hear about the troubles, but think about how nice it will be when it finally starts! Sounds like you're making good progress!

Dave..........Having fun yet? Man, you never catch a break. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the start up/break in  

daveo,

I once ordered a water pump and it arrived without a backing plate. Yeah, the mistakes of others can drive ya nutzo!

Hopefully you'll be turning the key for a startup this weekend.

Stay with it!

 

Kevin

|UPDATED|7/20/2012 12:36:08 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

That happened to me once (many years ago)...and only once. 

Every Chevy water pump I go to replace, I put a wrench to those backing plate bolts.

Yep, I won't be making that mistake again.  I just hope no one else on here has the same issue.  I am still having fun, though.   These little snags are just part of the process, I guess.  Keeps me interested in the project.