turbotuner20v

Is there a way to swap the standard LS3 water pump pulley to a wider version that would better fit an 8 or 10 rib belt? I think most people just buy the electric, but I'd actually like to stay with a manual water pump since I believe it handles high RPM/extended highway pulls better.


for example, here's an LS3 and LS1 water pump... the LS1 has a much larger pulley:



I know the '09+ water pumps are different on the LS3 cars though, so I assume I can't just use the LS1 pump

BLWN427

I run a LS6 water pump on my LS7 10 rib conversion.

turbotuner20v

Was it a direct swap?

I don't know why there were two different versions of LS3 water pumps or what the differences were, but it seems like if there is a '09+ specific LS3 pump, there's something specific about it that might not be the same on the LS6?

I guess technically I'm now using a Gen IV iron block w/ LSA heads and the '09+ LS3 pump worked, so maybe it makes no difference.

turbotuner20v

anybody else?

Unreal

Never even thought about this with my 10 rib. Looks like the ls7 pump has enough room for 2 more ribs but before I start installing the 10 rib kit it would be nice to know if I have to swap water pumps.

BLWN427

you can fit a 10 rib with the factory LS7 pump, I just went with the wider pulley since lingenfelter used a wider water pump pulley in their "kit" . I have also broken 2 or their "HD" tensioners that come in the conversion....I have since swapped to a billet MTI manual tensioner and haven't had an issue since.

breecher_7

Physically they look the same, function the same, and will bolt up the same. The only difference that jumps out at me right away is that the ears on the water pump that the blower bracket attaches to are machined back further on the newer pump. This is probably why ECS supplies a set of shims to go behind the bracket in that location on the C6 kit to make up that spacing difference.

My educated guess, from a engineering standpoint, would be that you could swap to the older pump with no issues...

edge04

My ls2 water pump is the the top one. The color is worn away where the 6 rib rode on it. I can easily fit an 8 rib on it.

turbotuner20v

I'm running an 8rib on the small ls3 water pump pulley now and it very barely fits and puts a wear mark on the edge of the belt where the pulley curves to the edge.

turbotuner20v

Ls3/ls7/lsa all use the same pump. The lsa uses a dedicated 8rib blower belt though and only runs 6 ribs on the water pump. The ls9 uses its 11 rib to spin the water pump, thus it's much larger. I can't see running a 10 rib on the ls3/ls7/lsa pulley

EX1

Any more information on this issue? I am installing a 10 rib kit on my 09 Z and I am worried about two ribs hanging off the factory water pump pulley.

Unreal

No issues on mine. Got ~1000 miles on it now, which isn't much but it isn't hanging over or tearing up belts.

ajrothm

If its hanging off the rear of the pulley (engine side), the sharp edge of the pulley will cut the belt on hard pulls...eventually tearing the last rib or two off...

If its hanging off the front of the water pump pulley with a nice smooth/round edge, you may be ok...

I would try to run the LS1/LS6 water pump from 2004 and just make the shims/spacers needed to true up the blower bracket.

Make sure to tack weld the pulley to the shaft on whatever pump you go with.. Big belt with a lot of tension WILL spin the pulley on the shaft and it will walk forward.

turbotuner20v

Here are the pics of my 10-rib blower pulley and stock 2009 ls3 water pump. If other people's LS7 pumps are working, I can't speak to that. The LS3 and LS7 are supposed to be the same from all I've read.

Attachment 48370941

Attachment 48370812

The Edelbrock 8896 looks like it will work fine for me:

Attachment 48370942

http://www.stockwiseauto.com/product...bkwaAs-x8P8HAQ

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/nal-12600172

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sle-100228

Unreal

Maybe I have an aftermarket pump, no idea. Been on the car since I owned it. My belt sizes have always been off compared to other peoples builds so who knows. My belt goes up to where it starts to round off.

turbotuner20v

What year is your Z?

I have a new theory...

2005 - 2007 LS2 and LS7 water pumps use a different width pulley that is thinner than ls1/ls6, but thicker than '09+ ls3/ls7

2008 LS3 and LS7 use the same port location as 2005 - 2007 LS2/LS7, but possibly different pulley width

2009+ LS3 and LS7 use new port location and new pulley width

Unreal

2006.

turbotuner20v

Sounds plausible then...

If anyone sees this thread and can post measurements from a 2005-2007 c6 water pump pulley I'd love to know the width

realcanuk

What did you figure out here. What pump did you end up going with ?

turbotuner20v

I used the edelbrock, but found this:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c6-forced-induction-nitrous/3532182-anybody-wanting-to-run-a-10-rib-blower-belt-needs-this-water-pump-info.html