$300 Water pump?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 692
Likes: 69
From: Juneau AK
$300 Water pump?
Wanted to update my waterpump while I have things apart and went to the parts store to discover that a polished Edelbrock water pump for an '81 Vette is almost $300. A check with Jegs and Summit for the samer part # (Edelbrock #8822) shows about the same thing.
Is this some kind of Vette gouge or is there something really unique about Vette water pumps?
Anyone got an alternative... I don't want to have to replace my pulleys, etc. as I have just converted them to aluminum. $300 just seems a bit
thanks,
kdlp
Is this some kind of Vette gouge or is there something really unique about Vette water pumps?
Anyone got an alternative... I don't want to have to replace my pulleys, etc. as I have just converted them to aluminum. $300 just seems a bit
thanks,
kdlp
Racer
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 328
Likes: 0
From: Dallas County Texas
*POLISHED* that high...
Reg iron vette WP $60 new at NAPA, $45 reburbed (silly).
I just ordered an Edelbrock Victor, UNPOLISHED, for $183 delivered from JEGs....
You pay extra for the polishing - a lot extra. It's up to you if it's worth it. (Polished Edelbrock heads run $150 higher too....)
For a decent high flow wp for any sbc, let alone a "short" one with 3/4" pilot for a vette, you should expect to pay $100ish - more if it's aluminum. (Note the vette one is NOT, precisely, a "short" style - but a regular "short" sbc one can be spacered, somewhat cheesily if you ask me, to work in one. The key difference is the 3/4" rather than 5/8" fan pilot. Other than that, if you feel like changing pulleys and/or aligning your pulleys for your accessories, it's not a huge deal to switch to a regualr sbc water pump. Why they felt the 3/4" pilot was so much stronger at higher rpm is beyond me - I don't think they are.)
I just ordered an Edelbrock Victor, UNPOLISHED, for $183 delivered from JEGs....
You pay extra for the polishing - a lot extra. It's up to you if it's worth it. (Polished Edelbrock heads run $150 higher too....)
For a decent high flow wp for any sbc, let alone a "short" one with 3/4" pilot for a vette, you should expect to pay $100ish - more if it's aluminum. (Note the vette one is NOT, precisely, a "short" style - but a regular "short" sbc one can be spacered, somewhat cheesily if you ask me, to work in one. The key difference is the 3/4" rather than 5/8" fan pilot. Other than that, if you feel like changing pulleys and/or aligning your pulleys for your accessories, it's not a huge deal to switch to a regualr sbc water pump. Why they felt the 3/4" pilot was so much stronger at higher rpm is beyond me - I don't think they are.)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 0
From: Wichita, KS
I bought the GMPP unpolished aluminum pump. I think that the price was 85.00 and 20.00 for shipping last year. The quality of the casting was not good enough to warrent attempting to polish it myself.
Last edited by 1979toy; Apr 5, 2005 at 09:12 PM. Reason: To add quality issue
Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 610
Likes: 1
From: Bluffton SC
I bought a Stewart stage 2 water pump for my 81 when I built the engine. Cost is currently $181 on the Stewart website. Be aware they recommend a Shaw thermostat (addl $10). I also installed a Dewitt aluminum radiator and Spal dual fan kit at the same time. This setup maintains 180 degrees no matter how hot/humid it gets or how long the car is idling with the ac on. 
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,412
Likes: 792
From: Redondo Beach, California
I will probably buy an Edelbrock aluminum SB water pump, long style, with reverse rotation, tomorrow. It part number 8881. It's the cast aluminum pump, not polished. I'd like to have eveything polished, etc but first I want to get the car running. Later I can spend detail with polishing things, etc. The price of the unpolished pump is about $160.00. This is pretty reasonable.
The aluminum pump will replace the cast iron pump on my ZZ4. Using the GM Serpentine kit, I need a long mount water pump for my SB engine.
....Anyhow before I start putting a lot of expensive cosmetic things in my engine compartment, I want to make sure everything works first. I've learned not to buy really good looking expensive stuff and then later find out that it wasn't what I really wanted and then had to replace it.
The aluminum pump will replace the cast iron pump on my ZZ4. Using the GM Serpentine kit, I need a long mount water pump for my SB engine.
....Anyhow before I start putting a lot of expensive cosmetic things in my engine compartment, I want to make sure everything works first. I've learned not to buy really good looking expensive stuff and then later find out that it wasn't what I really wanted and then had to replace it.
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