elec. water pump thoughts???

[jon79flavette]

getting ready to put in a new motor, and wanted to know the benefits, or drawbacks of going with a high volume 50 gpm water pump with an aluminum dual fan radiator. I think it will cost about 800.00 total, and if I am going to put the new rad. in, i'd rather do it now, while the motor is out. any thoughts, thanks

 

[SwaveDave]

I carefully weighed this issue up about a year ago when i had my motor buildup . I even talked directly with Don Meziere of Meziere ELectric Water Pumps. If you want to email me at : Fast1970vette@webtv.net...i will give you his answers to the questions i asked him regarding seal longevity, etc... He feels quite certain, although it may be a biased opinion...that, electric water pumps are well suited for street usage now because reliability has improved.

After ordering a Meziere Electric Pump and getting ready to install it...i changed my mind and returned it. Instead , i went with a high flow stage 3 STEWART mechanical water pump which has 6 impellers. This pump made a difference in how the cooling system works. It looked to be of high quality. The main reason i went with a mechanical pump over an electric pump ,is, you get some warning that a mechanical pump is on its way out via the weep hole in it ; with the electric..if the motor goes out, you are stranded whereever it happens.

Until i actually talk with guys that have gotton alot of trouble free miles from an Electric Pump...i shall remain with mechanical pumps. Another consideration , is : The 50 gallon (continuous gpm) electric pump is ideal for idle and speeds up to roughly 55 mph...but i calculated once you get above 55 mph, your gpm requirement is above 50 gpm (according to charts i examined) ; this may or may not cause an overheating condition under sustained speeds above this point. This was my other concern i had. Now i have the mechanical pump...i dont have to worry about cooling of the motor, at any speed i go.

Dave

 

[JohnZ]

Electric water pumps are great - in the staging lanes, on the return road, or in a magazine article feature photo of a trailered show car. They don't flow as well as a conventional pump, they're just another major electrical load, and when they fail, with no warning, you're stranded. Try and find one on Sunday in the middle of nowhere. Another example of a race-car-only part being marketed as "the latest neat thing" for a street-driven car, and has zero functional or reliability advantages over a conventional pump. The Finance executives at Jeg's and Summit love them :eyerole

 

[jon79flavette]

thank you jack & john for your input, I also worried about the reliability, conventional belt driven pumps certainly are proven, and you do have some inclination when they are on their way out. So my next question is to I go with the other part of that set-up, a dual elec. fan, t-stat controlled. this to me seems to be a logical choice, no fan clutch (thermal) mystery, less drag, and less mechcanical obstruction. ????

 

[SwaveDave]

errrrrr....the name is Dave .Been called alot worse however.

Im a proponent of electric radiator fans. They move a hallacious amount of air thru the radiator and you do get 'some' h.p. savings when the fans are in the OFF mode (ive read as much as 10 h.p. --- who knows for sure). When the fans are in the ON mode...its anyones guess if theres savings over a mechanical fan. The good thing is, my fans dont come on so long as im going at least 40 mph in 4th gear...even in hot weather. They come on in town only. I have them come on at 205 f and off at 185 f. My engine thermostat is a 180 f. one. Another benefit i like, is, if one of the fan motors quit...i still have the other to get me by. My twin fan assembly is actually out of an early 1990's LT 1 Corvette ; the assembly is mounted on the leaving side of the radiator so the fans 'suck the air' thru and then blasts it on the engine block. These fan motors have an oil cup so you can oil them too which is nice.

'Jack'

 

[clar2001]

I was sitting in a parking lot today my duel fans kicked on you should of seen the dust cloud,now I know why my engine compartment keeps getting dirty.
I would never switch back to a manual fan.

Alumium Rad. Duel fans, Hi flow stewart water pump ,one of my better Investments

Never over 190 degrees ..............

 

[jon79flavette]

first off, I am sorry Dave, I don't know where that jack mistake came from, from a fellow HVAC man, maybe I need to stop sniffin the r-22!! I am going to take your advise, the radiator has dual 13" fans that draw 22 amps whem both are running. they move 1700 cfm ea, or 3400 total, I am told they can be wired 2 stage (one comes on at certain temp, then the other, at a higher temp, with both running, or simple dual operation once activated. they both come on. (kinda like a dual compressor---ha-ha)

any thoughts on that?, also the t-stat senses radiator temp, on at 169 - off at 167. they tell me that raditor water temp is about 10 degrees or so cooler then radiator temp. does that sound right? if so is that (their) t-stat a good choice, or would you reccomend another?? It almost seems to cool, ??? should it not be another 10-15 degrees hotter? Thanks for your expertise........ DAVE

 

[SwaveDave]

Well...that explains alot, if youve been sniffin R22 like me for a good 28 years !

What i used for a Temperature Control, is, a Honneywell 160-250 f. Remote Bulb Temperature Controller with 6 foot capillary . I mounted the Controller on the lower valance in front of the radiator and wired the fans thru it. I have both fans coming on together...but you could two-stage it if you had the correct Controller. I have the 3/8" dia bulb sitting inside the driver side Cylinder Head so it senses actual water temp in the Head. Thats why i have mine set for 205 f on..and 185 off. I find that is perfect, as it takes awhile for it to build up 20 degrees so the fans dont short cycle. Why dont you check and see if you have a water tap on the driver side of your Cylinder Head like i do on my '70 . My fans pull 22 amps also and i have them on a 25 amp fuse. Like i said , they only come on when im in town or idling for a long time in the garage. Once i get moving...they never come on. Let me know if you want the Honneywell Model number for the Controller im using ; i paid $99 for it thru my HVAC Wholesaler, but, ive seen it in a Surplus flyer (brand new) for about $30. Let me know if you decide to go the two-stage route Jack.

Dave