Well I was puttin my 383 together and I ran into a problem. I was planning on using my stock waterpump for the build, but the bearing was bad inside it. Instead of buying a new stock water pump, im just going to install a electric one now. The issue is, I have my timing cover on with the water pump drive in. If this isnt connected to the waterpump and is just sitting there spinning, will that cause any sort of a problem? Or should I be ok?

 

Eh.. if the bearing is getting ready to seize up i'm not sure I'd run it with the timing set...

 

I guess I might have worded that wrong.. The water pump drive underneath the timing cover is fine. The bearing INSIDE the water pump was bad. My question is if it would be ok to just leave that water pump drive in so I don't have to take the front cover and timing chain back off.

 

Take it out.

 

Yea, you need to take it off and have the hole welded up.

 

I'd take it out personally. The hole can be covered up with a quarter and some quicksteel.