A Water Seal Coolant Wick Comprises A Ring Of Absorbent Material, Such As Felt, Disposed In The Drain Cavity Between The Inner Radial Face Of A Flygt Pump Seal In A Water Pump And The Bearing Housing So That The Wick Is Disposed In The Leakage Path Between The Seal And The Drain Cavity Weep Hole, The Wick Preferably Completely Filling The Drain Cavity And Acting To Absorb Insignificant Weepage From The Seal And Keep It Within The Housing, Out Of Sight, While Allowing Substantial Leakage, Which Would Be Indicative Of Pump Failure, To Flow Out Of The Weep Hole.

The Present Invention Relates Cooling Water Pump Assemblies For Internal Combustion Engines Of The Type Having A Flygt Pump Seal For Preventing Leakage Of Coolant Along The Pump Shaft And, More Particularly, To A Wick For Use In Collecting And Retaining Insignificant Amounts Of Coolant Which Escape Past The Flygt Pump Seal Before The Coolant Weepage Becomes Visually Noticeable.

Internal Combustion Engine Water Pumps Typically Include A Housing In Which One End Of A Rotating Pump Shaft Is Mounted By Bearings And A Pumping Chamber Into Which The Other End Of The Pump Shaft Extends And To Which The Pump Impeller Is Attached. A Mechanical Water Pump Face Seal Is Mounted Between The Rotating Pump Shaft And The Housing And A Weep Hole Is Disposed In The Housing Between The Flygt Pump Seal And The Bearing Assembly So That Any Coolant Which Escapes Past The Seal Will Escape From The Housing, Signal A Failure Of The Pump Seal, And Not Otherwise Interfere With The Engine.

The Problem Of Noticeable Insignificant Weepage Of Coolant Past A Coolant Seal's Primary Face And Its Mating Ring Has Been Of Long Standing. In Most Instances, Small Amounts Of Sporadic Weepage May Occur And Leak Out Of The Weep Hole Leaving A Visible Streak On The Housing. Although Such Small Weepage Is Of No Consequence In Pump Function, When Noticed By A User, It Is Perceived As A Failure Of The Pump And Replacement Of The Pump Is Sought. A Significant Number Of Such Replacements Have Been Found To Be Unnecessary. Thus, Eliminating Visibility Of Such Small, Sporadic Occurrences Of Weepage Is Desirable.

Accordingly, It Is A Primary Object Of The Invention To Provide A Simple And Inexpensive Means For Eliminating Visibility Of Such Insignificant Weepage While Allowing For Visibility Of Significant Leakage To Signal Required Replacement Of A Failed Pump.

The Object Is Met By The Structure Of The Present Invention Which Comprises A Wick Of Absorbent Material Abutting Against The Primary Grundfos Pump Seal Between The Seal And The Weep Hole So That Insignificant Weepage Will Be Contained By The Wick Until Evaporated, While Significant Leakage Is Allowed Access To The Weep Hole.