Lancia Motor Club

I have conseil pratique, to quote Andrew Maclagan -  never assume the obvious.

I started up the B10 for its fortnightly Winter move about the garage, noting that the water level was low. Topped up. Started and ran beautifully but got diverted onto batteries on the 1922 Hands [long story] so it ran for longer than planned but then the water erupted from the top of the radiator. When cool , I refilled and started the engine and noted that the water remained cool in the top. Knowing I run without a thermostat, I assumed the water pump had failed.

I know about water pump failure as the B10 did in S. France in 1991 and the Sport did 2 years ago on way to SPR in Belgium.

I thought it would be easy but having started and stalled I realised it would be easier without the radiator as several bolts were inaccessible. Also not helped by my replacing the Magneti Marelli dynamo with a VW one to have brighter lights when we did the Coppa della Alpi rallies in the late 1980s. It does not rotate in the housing so has a seperatible pully which also only seems possible with no radiator. Having separated the heater inlet/thermostat housing, the tap at the bottom and the 2 stays at the front and of course the bottom bolts, I realised 75years + wrecked shoulders meant using the engine hoist. Fiddly.

Noticed then that the bottom radiator outlet tap unit was 100% blocked by crud so so possibly not water pump after all. To get tap off car I had to disconnect the hose inlet to the engine. Quite inaccessible but do-able until realised that the petrol pump outlet bolt was just too close to the water hose bolt so had retighted latter and take off former and then remove latter.
Success.
Now questions;
a)   Is this common?
b)   Should I be flushing all the radiators? [Hands filled with stuff which says do not do so].
c)   Can I flush the engine?
d)   Should I get the pump rebuilt anyway by EP Services in Wolverhampton who were brilliant for the Flavia and guarantee their pumps FOR LIFE and under £200?

I doubt any engine has anything against a good flush once in a while! I want to rebuild my water pump with a sealed bearing as my open bearing sputters grease and water everywhere when warm…

🤔