The waterpump on my Herald started leaking a week or two back, so I ordered a new one from one of the usual suspects and it arrived one day in the week. I opened the box and had a quick look at it but had no time to do any more until today. Old pump came off without any bother, cleaned everything up a bit, went to fit the new pump. When I took it out of the box though I found the pulley rattling round loose... the shaft has broken just inside the pulley. No kidding, a 5/8" diameter steel shaft snapped off cleanly - at least it should be steel, but to my admittedly untrained eye the fracture is suggestive of cast iron. Hate to think how much damage that would have caused if it had broken on a running engine, I imagine the rad would be totaled at the very least.
Needless to say the supplier will be getting a call about this Monday morning, at least it's not something they can bullshit away! Pump is branded "County", I know some of their stuff isn't reckoned to be the best but this..?