This pump and thermostat came off Rob’s cool little 1275 Bugeye, here from Michigan and undergoing a refresh in our shop.
We removed the water pump only to find what looks like periodical cicadas well into their 17-year development cycle.
Imagine that what you see here built up very slowly by accretion, and that makes this photo extra interesting. While it looks like a hive of lunar moth larvae waiting to make their big escape, it’s actually corrosion that has been building one layer at a time, growing like barnacles on a boat.
Aluminum tends to suffer this sort of nasty growth much more so than cast iron (due to dissimilar metals), but everything shown needs replacement and/or a thorough cleaning. Never run water without antifreeze-even in non freezing climates you need the anti-corrosion properties, which were missing at some point in this engine’s life!
Should you be looking to refresh your Bugeye’s cooling system, click the links below to check out some of our cooling products, or click here for our full catalog!
