The deeper I got into this engine the happier I was that I am taking my time. The water pump was in horrible shape and surely it was dead. And the water passage gaskets were also worn out and had been leaking! These are very important and I highly recommend replacing these. Check out the condition they were in. Pretty nasty.
Now on to my favorite part. The powder coating. I had a box of little random parts coated black today. I love throwing all the little parts in a box and handing them off to my buddies at Pacific Metal Finishing. They wash and sandblast the parts before coating them. They even bake the parts for me if they were really greasy before they coat them. They really make sure the finish is perfect. If it's questionable they will ask me if I want them to do it again (the only situation was a restoration of a trailer I had them coat in the past). I just love not having to spend the time prepping/blasting the parts! Here is a picture of the difference with a couple parts. Better than new. I have a replacement for that pulley pictured. It's crusty.
