CMP ergo Ford Waterpumps

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all
A common problem with restoring the CMP and military related Ford flatheads is with the waterpumps. Single pulley, double pulley etc. I was always under the belief that the single pulley pumps rotated on a bush with the doulble pulley ones on a bearing. Heard today that with the CMPs they all had double pullies but rotated on a bush. Here in OZ there were so many problems with the bushes burning out that Ford imported double pulley pumps with bearings from the UK, hence all the imported CMPs were converted to this type.
Urban myth, true, what do you think/know.
Bob

[Mike Kelly]

Bob

My somewhat limited experience with half a dozen flat head anchors indicates they all originally had the bronze bushes , both single and double pulley types . I have never seen a ball bearing type here in OZ fitted to a CMP . The hot rodders do use the ball type though , I have seen them advertised . A modern replacement pump is made with ball races , costs big bucks though .

Mike

[Tony Smith]

My experience has been the opposite to Mike's. Every Ford CMP I've seen has had the ball bearing shafts fitted in conjunction with a double belt pulley. In fact, the Canadian manuals and parts books make no mention of bronze bush type pumps. The water pump castings on a Bush type pump are quite different to a double row Bearing type, and cannot be adapted or machined to convert. Some CMP vehicles I've seen have been fitted with single pulley pump/pumps and these have always been fitted with a bronze bush and I suspect are from Civvy or post war stocks. Carriers are a different story, with most being single pulley with 50/50 split between bronze bush and double row bearing.

ANCHORS?!? Scurillous fighting words from a Chev man!