429: What's this? How do I fix?

[Fabrice]

Busy sorting parts I have, parts I miss and parts I'll replace.

I came across this dirty piece (not as bad as it looks and surprisingly light). I don't know the exact name, its behind the water pump and it got 2 holes on a weirdly thin plate. 



Here on the left a closer look. On right side of pict, once the plate behind the pump is in place, the hole

disappear in a "secret chamber".



So what do I do to close it if necessary at all? From what I see, it ran many years with the holes.

Are these thin alu plates supposed to be replaced? Do I need aluminium solder it or close somehow with another plate above?

From the markings/patina/rust, I can see its isolated, not in contact with water or oil. Its having a thin black layer, a bit like seen in intakes sometimes. What is this chamber once the water pump plate is in place supposed to do? Aside being the ideal place to hide illegal substances, isolate for temp?



While I got your attention, the pump itself, having no play at bearings or other damage than being very dirty and light rusted

could be used again after a massive cleaning. But I won't anyway as it weights a ton.

So I was looking at a replacement in aluminium... most I've found say "clockwise", but the original seems be ccw and cast iron models do not specify (assuming they are CCW too). What are the implications? Other pulley/rim? Internally?

Anyone knows an alu having same specs as original?

A cast iron

https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/emp-16163/overview/model/mustang

An aluminium

https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/edl-8866/overview/make/ford

Another aluminium

https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/fms-m-8501-c460/overview/make/ford

 

[Don C]

That's the timing chain cover. The metal plate is the water pump backing plate.

That area you show is just a stiffener/blank area between the bolt holes, outside rim, and the coolant impeller chamber. The hole doesn't hurt anything. The backing plate has a gasket on each side of it, so coolant never gets into that area.

FPP showed a standard rotation aluminum pump, for v-belt engines, in their catalog in 2009, but not now:



Summit shows the same pump part number, but says it's a clockwise rotation, so not sure what's going on there. The rotation should be as viewed from the flywheel, not the front of the pump, so to me standard rotation is counter-clockwise.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fms-m-8501-c460/overview/make/ford

 

[Fabrice]

[That area you show is just a stiffener/blank area between the bolt holes,]

As its having a black deposit, I thought it may have a function but couldn't place it. Glad you could clarify that one!

[summit shows the same pump part number, but says it's a clockwise rotation, so not sure what's going on there. The rotation should be as viewed from the flywheel, not the front of the pump, so to me standard rotation is counter-clockwise.]

More confusing, if its seen from flywheel, then this OE pump looks like its CW, not CCW . Why is that not specify on the cast iron and is on the aluminium one... As it looks like this engine was on some applications/460/other years having a different coolant flow, but then they would/should warn a different pulley/rim is required no?

I guess I will have to contact them and see what they have to say... I really need to find more literature on this engine.

Thank you very much Don C!