Electric Water Pump for 351 W

[casaleenie]

Need to know the pros and cons of installing an Electric Water Pump to solve an overheating problem. <img src=images/icon_speech_duh.gif border=0 width=23 height=15 alt=Insert Speech Icon: Duh!>

Got a chance to pick up a Moroso pump for a discount hoping that it may be the solution...

What's the downside to the electric pump (if any)

AL

[Okiesnake]

Electric water pumps are popular on the drag strip because you can turn them off for a few seconds as you go the ¼ mile, and not rob any power. Plus they can be left on for a few minutes after turning off the motor and further cool off the motor. There may be some other advantages that I’m not aware of.
What overheating problems are you having? I have a 351W and don't have any overheating problems. The mechanical pump should be more than adequate. I don’t think an electric pump would flow any better.

[casaleenie]

At idle for even very short periods of time I start overheating very quickly... I was hoping that the electric pump would maintain the same high volumn flow even at idle... I'm not looking for any HP increase just the peace of mind that I can get caught in traffic without starting to cry... :( The Moroso pump I'm looking at is for street use and not track use...

AL

[Okiesnake]

Although historically correct, the pusher fans are not very efficient. Also, make sure that your fans are wired correctly and therefore not running in reverse. Puller fans behind the radiator actually work better than pusher fans in front of the radiator. You can keep the pusher fans in front for looks and add a puller fan (or fans) behind the radiator for efficiency.

[JerryBP]

AL If you are only overheating when stopped I would be checking the air flow thru the radiator rather than the waterpump, Pantera's had this problem with front pusher fans and cured it with rear puller fans and vents in the hood.
Try opening the hood an inch or 2 and see if that helps.

Work in Progress, Unique 427-9429 400+hp 351C Tremec 3550 5spd Coal Black
by Bruce, Greg & Jerry Porter Caldwell, Ohio

[Poorboy]

Al;
Your car overheating this time of year and as fast as you say I think you have something other than fan or pump trouble. Are you sure the cooling system is completly full(no air)

Poorboy

[Jim Harding]

Al,

My experience with electric water pumps comes from friends who have tried them ..... great for a drag car, poor for an everyday car. Seems they don't have a long life expectancy when subjected to long hours of operation.

And I have to agree with the some of the comments above, I think your problem is getting the heat out of the radiator, and my guess is that the electric pump wouldn't improve anything as it would just be circulating hot water back into the engine. Not to mention that a lot of us don't have overheat problems running the normal pump.

Good luck sorting this out.

Jim Harding
La Plata, Maryland

1982 #3004
http://www.capitalareacobraclub.com/albums/album26/1aLeftside.thumb.jpg

[eliminator]

If the cooling system isn't pressurized your gonna have problems. AL you need to look other places than the water pump. Re-tighten all hose clamps and look for little white streaks, where the coolant has leaked and evaporated. Check out under the engine and around all hose connections. These leaks may never let coolant hit the ground they just evaporate in the hot engine compartment. Are you running a thermostat? If not you need to be. Check these areas first.

Eliminator

[casaleenie]

Eliminator,

System is pressurized... No leaks..... coolant level is maintained..
Thermostat. yes

I'll recheck everything again... I'm sure I missed something...

Thanks for all the help,

Happy New Year....

AL

[Okiesnake]

A lot of performance engines don't have a vacuum advance hose installed and therefore have a tendency to run hot when idling. When stuck in traffic, have you tried revving up the rpm’s a little and see if the temp drops? If it does drop, it is probably not because the water pump is flowing more coolant, it is because of the timing issue. Also if it drops then it is not an airflow issue through the radiator.
To ensure that there is no air trapped in the engine, you can “burp” any air out when adding coolant by loosening either the temp probe or the heater inlet plug (if you don’t have a heater).
I'll also post this response on your CC thread to see if it sparks any recommendations from anyone over there.

[GeorgiaSnake]

Al try putting a big house fan in front of the car blowing through the radiator. If this keeps things cool then you know it is an airflow issue.

Randy

Unique 289 FIA
Southern Automotive 396
Team III 16's
Brilliant Silver

[Mike Geddes]

AL.....I also suffered from some overheating problems.
I have the older MGB front end and I tried putting the Unique supplied single electric fan on the back side of the radiator with it wired up to pull air thru the rad....it kinda worked OK except that the front sway bar is very close to the rad. and it sqaushed the fan casing a little and made a bit of a racketwhen running.
So now, I have the electric fan back in the 'pushing' position on the front of the rad.( I don't like the look it gives to the front end)
I have a regular fan bolted to the engine , and I run the car with a 25% glycol solution.....works for me.
I change out the coolant to a standard 50/50 mix when I put the car in the farmers barn for the winter.(we really only have a 6 month driving season here in Canada.)
Mike

Mike Geddes

[Brent]

Al,
It would be nice to know if the engine and the radiator temps differ greatly. You can move the water too slow or too fast and cause over heating. You might check this the next time the motor builds excessive heat and see what the radiator temp is.

Brent