so...talk to me about water pumps: VF500F

I've noticed a little 2"-3" puddle of oil right near the kickstand after parking the VF500F lately. Figured since it was oil-like it might be dripping from the chain after a lube or might be the pushrod seal on the clutch that I fixed once already.

Got under it today, and I see oil forming at the weep hole on the water pump. I wiped it clean and haven't seen it drop (yet) but I could stick a dry finger on it and get oil from it that way. MIGHT not be dripping enough to form a drop yet, so the puddle could be coming from the pump itself at the base...I assume there's an o-ring in there somewhere? It's wet right above the frame crossbar where the kickstand joins it too looks like.

So...the microfiche does not show a listing for the water pump. It has a number for it, but that number is not in the description below, which usually means it is no longer available, right? Anyone know if you can still get a water pump for these? Part number if so?

Only 16K on this one, which is disappointing. I have bikes with 80k on them on the original water pump.

Does a weeping hole on the pump automatically mean "Cannot be fixed. Must get a new pump?" Anyone ever have an O-ring inside go bad, have a leak by the kickstand and thus cause the weeping as well? Just trying to get a handle on my options. Thanks gang.

 

I checked again...looks like it's coolant for sure. And the weep hole still hasn't dripped, but I do have a drip/puddle from the bottom of the water pump, right above the kickstand/where the screw for the lower cowl goes in. So...if the o-ring (assuming there is one?) in the pump fails and is replaced, does the weep hole stop weeping too?

 

My 750 started doing that last year. I did a quick seal with HondaBond and a 6/32 self tapping screw in the weep hole. Mine is leaking oil. The water pump goes in to the case and connects to the oil pump. There is an O-ring arond the pump to keep the oil at bay. Mine must be bad. If it's anti-freeze then there is a seal in the pump, around shaft that connects to oil pump. That's most like leaking and may get water in to oil. Have you checked? I would pull the pump and take it apart and check the seals.

you should be able to get them here:Honda | Suzuki | Yamaha | Can-Am | Ski-Doo | Sea-Doo | Motorcycle | ATV | Scooter | Parts | Accessories

Or go to a place like Applied Industrial Technologies (old Bearings Inc) and see if you can cross reference to something exact or close.

 

I just now ordered the two o-rings (the bigger one and the smaller 1" one) from the dealer. I know for sure it's coolant from the front of the pump, which looks like that's where the bigger, odd-shaped o-ring goes. And since there's the start of oil from the weep hole, maybe that's the smaller o-ring on the shaft from the looks of the fiche. BTW, new pumps are NLA from the Mothership, as verified thru the dealer. I'll let you know how it goes when they come in and I get to it.

 

Pulled out the water pump just now, swapped the o-rings (2) and the one on the water pipe, though I didn't need to and I didn't need to remove it to do the job, but I had it already so I swapped it out too.

And...I let it idle a bit, and got one drop (so far) from the weep hole, which is odd since it didn't drip before. The leak from where the front cover joins the body of the water pump seems to have stopped with the large o-ring swap.

So...I guess I should see how it goes tonight with a clean towel under it, and after I ride it a bit this week.

 

Should be good to go on this. Found a guy with a new one, still in the box. Got it in the mail tonight. Hopefully this one will last more than 15k.