Larphred

Trying to finish up on my 350 cid engine for my ‘59 roadster build. I’ve been considering going with an electric water pump because I’ve had this car for a long time and it has never cooled well.
Any opinions on whether an electric pump is appropriate for a driver.
Also, I have an 8” harmonic damper and am concerned with clearance.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Nowhere Man

a electric water pump won't solve over heating

59BlueSilver

Fordracer9

I run an electric water pump on my 67 with no issues at all. Car runs 175-180 all day, even caught in summer traffic. Completed the Hot Rod Power Tour with it last year. However, as was stated above, it's not the fix for running hot. You gotta have all your ducks in a row as far as radiator, fan, sensors/switches etc. And don't forget the charging system upgrades to run it all.

Easy Rhino

If the overheating problem was due to a weak water pump (unlikely) then an electric water pump will help. If not, it will only delay solving your problem, and at additional costs.

So what led you to conclude that the old water pump was the cause of the overheating condition?

Water pumps are almost always required to be replaced due to worn out seals or worn out bearings, neither of which reduce their pumping capacity.

JohnZ

Highly unlikely that the water pump is in any way related to your cooling issue. See the article below I wrote a couple of years ago to understand how your Corvette cooling system works and how to diagnose it - a "checklist", if you will, for cooling issues.