Twin cam 1558 water pump
Discussion
Try over here: http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/ Same twink engine and a lot of people know how all the oily bits work.
There is no provision for lubricating the water pump, it is a sealed bearing cribbed from a 105E Anglia and one of the weak points on a T.C. engine. It is important not to make the V-belt too tight as it puts load on the bearing and it is a PITA to fit a kit,there are kits with a larger bearing with a capsule that make it a lot easier to change.
grahammay2 wrote:
> I've just looked at a Lotus Cortina 1558 twin cam
> service manual which says oil the water pump.
How does the manual state that? What's the context?
In the Europa Twin Cam and Elan manuals, there's no mention of oiling the pump in the WP rebuild directions. I've scanned the "Lubrication and Maintenance" sections and see no mention of oiling the water pump there either.
The bearing is sealed and internally lubricated for life, and there is no provision for oiling or greasing it during servicing.
It is normal to provide some lubrication for the seal. If you are running an anti-freeze/ water mix, modern AF contains a water pump lube that is aimed at protecting the seal. Back in the day, it was common to add a separate can of Water Pump Lube to the coolant whenever it was renewed. These days, if you go looking for it, you can still find Water Pump Lube in stores, but it's not generally required if a good Anti-Freeze is used.
If you chose to run straight water as a coolant, then you should make a point of adding Water Pump Lube to the radiator. Then the circulating coolant will carry the lube to the pump's seals. Water Pump Lube isn't just regular oil, but is a special "soluble oil". Be sure to use proper Water Pump Lube and not just oil.
During a water pump rebuild, it's a good idea to lubricate the face seal with a little pure Anti-Freeze to protect it during initial start up. That should be redundant if the system if properly filled with an AF mix before start-up, but it's still a good idea. Never run the pump dry.
Does any of that sound like what the Cortina manual was talking about?
Regards,
Tim Engel
> I've just looked at a Lotus Cortina 1558 twin cam
> service manual which says oil the water pump.
How does the manual state that? What's the context?
In the Europa Twin Cam and Elan manuals, there's no mention of oiling the pump in the WP rebuild directions. I've scanned the "Lubrication and Maintenance" sections and see no mention of oiling the water pump there either.
The bearing is sealed and internally lubricated for life, and there is no provision for oiling or greasing it during servicing.
It is normal to provide some lubrication for the seal. If you are running an anti-freeze/ water mix, modern AF contains a water pump lube that is aimed at protecting the seal. Back in the day, it was common to add a separate can of Water Pump Lube to the coolant whenever it was renewed. These days, if you go looking for it, you can still find Water Pump Lube in stores, but it's not generally required if a good Anti-Freeze is used.
If you chose to run straight water as a coolant, then you should make a point of adding Water Pump Lube to the radiator. Then the circulating coolant will carry the lube to the pump's seals. Water Pump Lube isn't just regular oil, but is a special "soluble oil". Be sure to use proper Water Pump Lube and not just oil.
During a water pump rebuild, it's a good idea to lubricate the face seal with a little pure Anti-Freeze to protect it during initial start up. That should be redundant if the system if properly filled with an AF mix before start-up, but it's still a good idea. Never run the pump dry.
Does any of that sound like what the Cortina manual was talking about?
Regards,
Tim Engel
Hi Tim
Thanks for your comments, the exact article was on line, but I've mislaid it and am having trouble finding it again. I do suspect strongly that different pumps are in use.
Also thanks to others
Graham
Esprit2 said:
grahammay2 wrote:
> I've just looked at a Lotus Cortina 1558 twin cam
> service manual which says oil the water pump.
How does the manual state that? What's the context?
In the Europa Twin Cam and Elan manuals, there's no mention of oiling the pump in the WP rebuild directions. I've scanned the "Lubrication and Maintenance" sections and see no mention of oiling the water pump there either.
The bearing is sealed and internally lubricated for life, and there is no provision for oiling or greasing it during servicing.
It is normal to provide some lubrication for the seal. If you are running an anti-freeze/ water mix, modern AF contains a water pump lube that is aimed at protecting the seal. Back in the day, it was common to add a separate can of Water Pump Lube to the coolant whenever it was renewed. These days, if you go looking for it, you can still find Water Pump Lube in stores, but it's not generally required if a good Anti-Freeze is used.
If you chose to run straight water as a coolant, then you should make a point of adding Water Pump Lube to the radiator. Then the circulating coolant will carry the lube to the pump's seals. Water Pump Lube isn't just regular oil, but is a special "soluble oil". Be sure to use proper Water Pump Lube and not just oil.
During a water pump rebuild, it's a good idea to lubricate the face seal with a little pure Anti-Freeze to protect it during initial start up. That should be redundant if the system if properly filled with an AF mix before start-up, but it's still a good idea. Never run the pump dry.
Does any of that sound like what the Cortina manual was talking about?
Regards,
Tim Engel
> I've just looked at a Lotus Cortina 1558 twin cam
> service manual which says oil the water pump.
How does the manual state that? What's the context?
In the Europa Twin Cam and Elan manuals, there's no mention of oiling the pump in the WP rebuild directions. I've scanned the "Lubrication and Maintenance" sections and see no mention of oiling the water pump there either.
The bearing is sealed and internally lubricated for life, and there is no provision for oiling or greasing it during servicing.
It is normal to provide some lubrication for the seal. If you are running an anti-freeze/ water mix, modern AF contains a water pump lube that is aimed at protecting the seal. Back in the day, it was common to add a separate can of Water Pump Lube to the coolant whenever it was renewed. These days, if you go looking for it, you can still find Water Pump Lube in stores, but it's not generally required if a good Anti-Freeze is used.
If you chose to run straight water as a coolant, then you should make a point of adding Water Pump Lube to the radiator. Then the circulating coolant will carry the lube to the pump's seals. Water Pump Lube isn't just regular oil, but is a special "soluble oil". Be sure to use proper Water Pump Lube and not just oil.
During a water pump rebuild, it's a good idea to lubricate the face seal with a little pure Anti-Freeze to protect it during initial start up. That should be redundant if the system if properly filled with an AF mix before start-up, but it's still a good idea. Never run the pump dry.
Does any of that sound like what the Cortina manual was talking about?
Regards,
Tim Engel
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