water pump/alternator tensioner

still working on my p 38 too hot problem,not overheating btw ,see other posts
Today I was going to tackle the water pump.
Found the tensioner pulley impossible to move and couldnt even lever it off. Had to undo the two bolts that secure the tensioner on then use an aleen key and a bloomin big tube to undo it. The end bit with the allen key still wouldnt budge,sprayed releasing fluid on and eventually by moving it back and forth,it gave. It undid frrom the engine side and the allen key end ,pulley and arm came off as a unit. Had a devil of a job to eventually releasee the pulley assembly. The shaft had not rusted but was full of muck and effectively the tensioner pulley couldnt move.
I took the water pump out and its the metal impellor type and seems quite good so i've popped it back in.
The question I would like to ask is,
Could my problem,the top rad house is cool,bottom hose really hot be caused by the water pump effectively "slipping" and not pumping water as it finds it easier to slip on the tensioner when the resistance of pumping through the radiator too much?
Just wanted to pick you guys brains.
Weather permitting Im hoping to have a go at the radiator tomorrow
Thanks

First things to start squealing if the belt was loose would be the power steering pump and the alternator. I doubt it would effect the water pump overly.

Sorry to sound really dim but by top hose do you mean the inlet to the radiator and bottom hose the one connected to the thermostat? If so I had the reverse of that, the inlet was warm but the thermostat one was cold, as it turned out no thermostat!

When I did mine, it had the metal impelor type pump but thought I may aswell change it as the old one was out, didn't know what the mileage on it was and what shape the bearings were in.

mick

Standing in front of the rangey,looking back,the hose on the left is the top hose goes to the thermostat and the one on the right is the bottom hose. Sounds oh so similar to mine,left hose cold right hose hot and no stat in as well It turned out to be my rad

rover75lover said:

Standing in front of the rangey,looking back,the hose on the left is the top hose goes to the thermostat and the one on the right is the bottom hose. Sounds oh so similar to mine,left hose cold right hose hot and no stat in as well It turned out to be my rad

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There is no bottom hose per se, only inlet right and outlet left, looking from front of rad. Using the term bottom hose for this unit is confusing.