Small Block Electric Water Pump

[minifridge1138]

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know of an electric water pump that will fit the small block in a 1982?
I read that switching can give an increase of 30 hp and 25 trq. I didn't realize that the water pump pulley robbed that much power.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I read that switching can give an increase of 30 hp and 25 trq. I didn't realize that the water pump pulley robbed that much power.

It doesn't. The water pump uses in the region of 1 horsepower.

Even if it did take that much power, there's no 'free lunch' You would just need to find the equivalent of 30 HP worth of electricity to run the pump, which would have to come from the alternator. It is extremely inefficient to convert mechanical energy to electrical, then convert it from electrical back to mechanical.

It might look 'cool' to run electrical fans and pumps, but there's no real power increase behind it.

 

[JohnZ]

In addition, the "whizbang" hot-rod electric water pumps favored by the cruise-in "bling" crowd don't even come close to producing the same flow as the stock pump, and the electric pump flow profile is linear (same flow all the time) vs. the engineered variable flow rate of the stock pump.

Electric pumps are for cooldown in the staging lanes, not for street use.

"Marketing, son, marketing - that's where the money is."

 

[Crimson Thunder]

You must have read the new Chevy High Performance magazine.

 

[minifridge1138]

Yep. This month's Chevy Performance mag had a list of cheap ways to get a few extra hp. They mentioned headers, serpentine belt, electric water pump, heads, rocker arms, etc.

It sounded too good to be true, so i decided to ask people that know. If i was a real sucker, i would have just bought the parts.

Thanks for the info everyone.

 

[Crimson Thunder]

The headers and a true dual exaust(depending on which state you live in)will be your best bet to free up some horsepower.

 

[Art Jett]

I've got an electric water pump on my 383 with dual 11" spal fans and an aluminum radiator and I love it. I didn't do it for power, I did it for room. It flows 35GPM which is a lot more than a stock pump and it runs on only 6 amps. The only problem is it doesn't have a place for the heater hose return. I had to make an adaptor fitting out of stainless and bring the heater return in right at the inlet from the radiator. I just got my engine running and sitting in the garage playing with it it never gets over about 195-200 degrees. It should run nice and cool on the road. I made a ram-air intake system for my TPI and it took up a lot of room between the rad. and engine. Art

 

[JohnZ]

The stock SB pump flows 57 gpm, and the stock BB pump flows 82 gpm.

 

[Art Jett]

My bad! In the catalogs I looked at, the stock replacements were rated at around 19 GPM. I know you know a lot more than me! :BOW I'm just a novice at this. At any rate, the one I have seems to be doing the job so far. Art