Water pump failure and mysterious large ring

[Ken92SVX]

My SVX let me down last Friday on my way home. It ran rough and stalled. It cranked over really hard and wouldn’t start so I called for a flatbed tow.

When I got it home I suspected a timing belt issue. I confirmed that it was the water pump after tearing it apart. My issue is that during the teardown, I found a very large type ring that seems like a spring ring, measuring about 5” outside diameter and about 4 3/8” inside diameter. I found it in my drain pan below the seized water pump.
Does anyone have a idea where it came from and where it belongs?

I have a 1997 SVX with about 123,000 miles that I have owned for over 10 years.
Thanks for anyone’s help!

Here is a photo of the ring.



Ken