Cast Iron vs. Aluminum Water Pump

Do you have the engine tag? Should be Level 8 for cast iron water pump cars.

The earliest I have seen cast iron water pumps on a '65 is the beginning of June.

My mid-April '65 Dearborn car is level 7 and still has the aluminum pump.

No evidence of it, but I've seen a couple of late May or June '65 Dearborn cars with Level 8 cast iron set ups.

Not sure for San Jose cars or how long it took for the blocks to transit out west.

What is your engine build date? Look on the front boss on the block - drivers side - that will give you a better idea of when the engine was assembled and that will likely put you closer to what Rev Level you need than anything. If your engine is April or May assembly I would say you probably need Level 7 - late May or June probably Level 8.

Bob Mannel may be able to help too. He has forgotten more about small block 289s than most of us know.

Believe the TSB mentions the change over was done in May 65 (mentioned in a TSB in Nov 65)

Since we can't go simply IMHO by the block casting date I suggest you check the assembly date of the block (since we don't have an engine tag) and if the date is in late May - early June I would expect a cast iron pump

[Blocked Image: http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f49/firetrainer/289Assembydate.jpg]

Quote from club 33

Thanks, guys. Assembly date is May 26th.

I'd say you could go either way. The aluminum pump will be easier to find as the correct cast iron would have "C5OE" cast into the top edge. Probably be next to impossible to find a date correct timing cover for that pump too.

I've got a C50E water pump, I'll have to look and see what the date code is.

Unless I'm mistaken (which happens a lot) you won't find a date code on a cast iron pump, only on the timing chain cover.

Quote from s2ms

Unless I'm mistaken (which happens a lot) you won't find a date code on a cast iron pump, only on the timing chain cover.

I don't believe you're mistaken on that one!

A friend of mine has a 65 Shelby with an engine assembly date

of May 24, 1965 and it's equipped with the aluminum water pump.

/Bo

I have a friend whose brother is the long time owner of 5S562, the last 65 GT350 VIN made. He confirmed the car still has it's original engine which was originally equipped with a cast iron water pump. He didn't know the assembly date but if I find that out will post it here as well.

Dave,

yes, #562 came to Shelby on 6/26/65 and the engine was probably assembled around 6/15/65. Consequently the change over between

the aluminum and cast iron pump (L8) was from end of May to mid

June. A change over car with an engine assembly date of 5/26/65

would in my best estimate need an aluminum pump.

/Bo

Got Mustang Monthly yesterday and there is an article about

#520 with 28k miles on the odometer and it has a cast iron

waterpump. The car came to Shelby on 6/16/65 so the engine

was most likely assembled in the first week of June.

My car's, #275, original engine was assembled on May 3 and

it arrived at Shelby on 5/13/65, i.e. 10 days later.

My friend's 65 with the 5/24 engine assembly date arrived

at Shelby 6/12/65, i.e. almost 3 weeks later. It has an aluminum pump. Again, it looks like the switch must have made by the end of May to early June. Personally, I believe the engine assembly date

is the guide line to follow.

/Bo