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Comment by Jason Edge on February 28, 2013 at 8:04pm

There are lots of debates in the wonderful world of car restoration but remember there being discussion about the old "original cast iron" water pumps vs the "new cheap aluminum ones" but I have not had bad luck with aluminum ones and knew I had removed either some original or really old aluminum ones and it wasn't something they just suddenly started making. I don't know the rhyme or reason about which was produced when, but did remember something about the original ones being aluminum, and in browsing for a good picture for the 390 engine found it on the very first page of the introduction of the 1963 model year in the Serviceman bulletin.

"A new die-cast aluminu water pump, which is serviced as an assembly only." noted right there on page 48 of the October Serviceman Bulletin. I know I am a bit crazy but finding that feel just a wee bit less crazy now.

I then thought, it must also be in the shop manual and sure enough on page 11-1 in the 1963 Shop manual it refers to a die-cast aluminum water pump. I think turned to the 1964 shop manual and again it refers to the die-cast aluminum water pump. I checked the remainder of the serviceman bulletins for 1963 & 1964 and did not see any changes. With that said the cast iron water pumps, (regardless if they were better or not) do not seem to be original to the car and were instead introduced later...at least from the literature I am reading from the period.

Jason.