The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Water pump - short shaft or relocation plate?

Yes, it sounds like you know what you're doing...Support the hub with a couple of pieces of thick metal plate or whatever you can get behind it and then press downward on the shaft with the hub supported. If you move the hub toward the front of the shaft by 1/8 inch or so you will either see a machined step or nothing but the shaft. If you see a machined step, then you have to remove the hub, disassemble the pump, take the shaft and chuck it into a lathe and carefully turn the shaft down to match the small part of the shaft and put all back together again. (that's not the easy way but go slowly and carefully) Please be really careful when you remove the impeller from the shaft. If your pump is old and has rusted there the impeller and the shaft can sort of become "as one" and they may not want to separate. I've seen people crack impellers trying to remove them.

If you see no machined step, then you can support the shaft on the back side (the center...where it goes into the impeller) and carefully press the hub down as far as you need to make a short shaft pump and cut off the excess. (that's the easy way and it usually doesn't take that much effort if the shaft isn't rusty) Just be really certain to support the shaft and not the impeller when you start pressing down on the hub and go slowly. Maybe use a socket the same size as the shaft. It should sit flat enough. Good luck.