1964 water pump date or no date?

[Garry B.]

Assembly date of mid-June 1964. I have what I believe to be the original water pump, with no date. Correct ......608 part number. Some information says no dates until late '65, others say dates started Feb/March 1964. Any consensus on when dates started and if my water pump should have a date or no date. Thanks.

Garry Barnes #18531

[Edward J.]

Re: 1964 water pump date or no date?

Gary, If you believe its original to the car, leave it or rebuild it, I would think that if it was replaced at some point what are the chances of you getting the correct number pump, so I would not think that its not out question. I know that the current JM calls for around March. Another factor that these water pumps were made by the hundreds of thousands and used in all GM car lines. carry overs would be likely a few months is okay.

[Mike E.]

Re: 1964 water pump date or no date?

Gary, If you believe its original to the car, leave it or rebuild it, I would think that if it was replaced at some point what are the chances of you getting the correct number pump, so I would not think that its not out question. I know that the current JM calls for around March. Another factor that these water pumps were made by the hundreds of thousands and used in all GM car lines. carry overs would be likely a few months is okay.

The chances of getting another 608 water pump from a parts store are phenomenally good. They are everywhere. THE most common small block pump around for anything pre-70.

[Edward J.]

Re: 1964 water pump date or no date?

The chances of getting another 608 water pump from a parts store are phenomenally good. They are everywhere. THE most common small block pump around for anything pre-70.

Mike maybe 25 years ago. all the parts store all carry made in china, Yes maybe a corvette vendor will have them.

[Garry B.]

Re: 1964 water pump date or no date?

I spoke with Bill Mock today and he is a wealth of information and a very nice guy. I don't want to attempt to put words in his mouth, so I will try to transfer my new found knowledge by applying it to my situation. You will need to determine your own outcome based on your car.

Bill did confirm that 608 water pumps were cast with dates beginning sometime in March of 1964 but not too specific as to when during the month, which is understandable. My engine assembly was May 27, 1964, so somewhere within a two-plus month timeline to when the dates began.

With this in mind considering there were thousands of these things made and variable inventories of the non-dated ones at any point in time when the dated ones started rolling in, I believe that mine falls in that category of "could have gone either way". Yes I know that many Chevy models got these WP's. Someone will probably project just how many of these things were still in inventory when the dated ones where shipped and how they were allocated among all of the GM plant inventories, but I am not that guy. So, I am gong to rebuild the one that came off of my 77,500 mile car and not bother with a date. Bill felt that if I was going to have the car judged, it should have a date on it just to be safe. With all due respect to Bill, he wants to sell me a $250 dated WP. If it were a clear cut answer in my situation I believe he would have said so, but he did not, nor was the information compelling enough to believe my car came with a dated WP. Probably will never know for sure, but I learned a lot and promised to share what I learned.

[Mike E.]

Re: 1964 water pump date or no date?

Mike maybe 25 years ago. all the parts store all carry made in china, Yes maybe a corvette vendor will have them.

I stopped at my Bumper to Bumper store today. They had 3 rebuilts in stock. 2 were original 608’s.

[James W.]