How much is too much

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by mattgic

I found this girl in storage. It had been stored 30+ years.
Through the knowledgebase here and some YouTube videos, I was able to get it running. It had a signifigant leak at the water pump. More knowledge gathering I learned how the waterpump worked. Previous owner had filled the whole cavity with grease. I literally had to scope it out with a spoon. I also found there was no packing. While working with it I discovered about a 1/4" movement in the shaft, back and forth. Some have mentioned there may be some movement, but I thought this was a lot.

I tried to attach a video, but too new to the forum.

I believe that the spec is 0.003” shaft play, so 0.250” (1/4”) is excessive. It allows the fan to move around, not desirable. This likely indicates excessive wear in the cylinder head. Vendors sell an extra long shaft to accommodate for this. As a “get by” alternative you might consider installing a thrust collar (Snyder’s A-8511-C) on the pump shaft to control movement.

Nice barn find! Should be a lot of fun to work on. I love the fender-mount turn signals.