Well of course, nothing goes as one might have expected....
The slot in the fitting in the old water pump measures 1/4" wide....I received the new fitting Thursday and the slot in that measures 0.170" wide [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif[/img] Glad I didn't buy the drag link socket with the *allegedly* 7/32" wide blade (but I guess I'll never know what the width actually is since the seller never did respond to me). So, with Verne's original idea in mind, I went to a local machining & welding shop with the new fitting. Told the owner what I needed to do and he came back with a piece of 3/16" (0.1875"
flat bar stock about 8" long and suggested that I just file off enough to produce a snug fit in the slot. Sounded good to me so I asked "how much do I owe you?" He said "Merry Christmas", we shook hands, I went home and filed away and the new fitting is now snugly in place in the newly rebuilt p/n-and-date-correct water pump. The old fitting can just stay in the old p/n-and-date-incorrect water pump.