I just put a chrome pump on mine and immediately noticed that the pulley wobbled when I fired it up. It doesn't look like the shft itsself is bent but more like just the hub, where the pulley mounts is warped. I guess I'll probably just buy another but I hate to spend it again. And why does this **** always happen to me??? Every time I do ANYTHING car related....

 

That's not a thin piece of metal. If shaft isn't crooked, hard to believe hub would be bent. Did you check for burrs on the hub and the on the pulley? Can the pulley itself be warped? No guarantee on the pump?

BTW, I saw a lower radiator hose come flying off a chromed water pump when the clamped hose slid right off the slippery chrome after the cooling system built pressure. It was on a friends street rod and the scalding hot geyser of water just missed my right leg. Dangerous. Take a grinder to the chrome where the hose clamps to rough it up.

 

Good tip, thanks. I'm fairly certain it's only the hub itsself. I know it isn't straight with the pulley off so it's either just the hub or the whole shaft. It really doesn't look like it's the shaft though. My wife just wants me to put the old ugly rusted iron one back on, but damn I was so proud of that chrome one, lol. I hate to spend another $100 bucks though and have 3 pumps.

 

Not that this is definitely your problem, but CHROME parts cause me to curse more and throw more wrenches than just about all other things combined. I don't know why chrome stuff always causes me problems but I use as little of it as possible. It seems like there's always SOMETHING wrong with it. What you're experiencing sounds like something that would happen to me, too, although I don't recall putting a chrome water pump on any of my engines.

 

Go to the parts store, get a "cheap" dial indicator with a magnetic base, and check the runout on the shaft and mount surface.

 

Is it a new one..so you could just take it back for a replacement?
If it was used I bet that's why they got rid of it.

 

I ended up ordering a new one form Jegs just to get one here in time for a show I wanted to go to. This was on a Sunday night and the part was "in stock". Waited 'til Friday before I called them and they said it was on backorder. I was sooooo pissed. I vow to never buy from Jegs again after doing me that way. They could have called to say it wouldn't be coming so I could do something else. I ended up just painting my old iron one just to go to the show and then I took my sledge hammer and beat that chrome POS to a pulp! It made me feel so much better...

 

Good job on plan B.

As Damon said, chrome stuff is usually grief. Especially those chrome distributor hold down clamps.