Water pump flow numbers
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 700
Likes: 0
From: Lantana TX
Water pump flow numbers
Hey folks,
Does anyone know what the GPM flow rate is on a standard water pump for a C3?
I am debating on an elec. water pump, but I hear folks say they do not work well and should be used for the strip. So I would like to compare it to the Meziere, which flows 55GPM. The elec. standard seams to be 35GPM style. I do not want to spend $360.00 on something that is less than what I have now.
Thanks all
Does anyone know what the GPM flow rate is on a standard water pump for a C3?
I am debating on an elec. water pump, but I hear folks say they do not work well and should be used for the strip. So I would like to compare it to the Meziere, which flows 55GPM. The elec. standard seams to be 35GPM style. I do not want to spend $360.00 on something that is less than what I have now.
Thanks all
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 2
From: Meriden CT
i've also heard that electric water pumps are meant for the strip... electrical failures are much more common than mechanical. if you should lose your electric water pump on the street... your up sh**'s creek. Mechanical pumps are much less prone to failure.
I may be wrong.. but this is what i've heard. I'm sure someone will chime in here.
I may be wrong.. but this is what i've heard. I'm sure someone will chime in here.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 700
Likes: 0
From: Lantana TX
Originally Posted by JoeRags
i've also heard that electric water pumps are meant for the strip... electrical failures are much more common than mechanical. if you should lose your electric water pump on the street... your up sh**'s creek. Mechanical pumps are much less prone to failure.
I may be wrong.. but this is what i've heard. I'm sure someone will chime in here.
I may be wrong.. but this is what i've heard. I'm sure someone will chime in here.
I can't believe I could not find such basic info anywhere on the web this blows my mind.
Hopefully someone will chime in
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 2
From: Meriden CT
i hear ya... i dont drive my car that much either... but consider this.. Its true that an electric WP will free up a bunch of parasitic drag on your motor, and free up a few HP... but in turn, you'll be pulling lots of power continually that must be made up elsewhere... you'll just be pulling more power off the alternator, which will in turn, induce more drag on the engine.
I dont see any reason to drop that much money on an electric water pump... drag cars dont even have alternators... they just run straight off the battery because they can charge inbetween runs.
I dont see any reason to drop that much money on an electric water pump... drag cars dont even have alternators... they just run straight off the battery because they can charge inbetween runs.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 700
Likes: 0
From: Lantana TX
Originally Posted by JoeRags
i hear ya... i dont drive my car that much either... but consider this.. Its true that an electric WP will free up a bunch of parasitic drag on your motor, and free up a few HP... but in turn, you'll be pulling lots of power continually that must be made up elsewhere... you'll just be pulling more power off the alternator, which will in turn, induce more drag on the engine.
I dont see any reason to drop that much money on an electric water pump... drag cars dont even have alternators... they just run straight off the battery because they can charge inbetween runs.
I dont see any reason to drop that much money on an electric water pump... drag cars dont even have alternators... they just run straight off the battery because they can charge inbetween runs.
You had a nice winter up in CT this year huh? I lived in RI for 36 years up to 8 months ago. I could not take the housing market so I moved to TX and can now at least drive year round
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 2
From: Meriden CT
depends what you mean by "nice winter." i'm still young and frolic in the snow... i spent every free moment in Vermont snowboarding on what little snow there was.... I still love the snow, but give that 20 years... i'm sure it will change!!!!
it must be nice being able to drive the vette year round!!!
whats that I see in the background of your avatar?!?!?
it must be nice being able to drive the vette year round!!!
whats that I see in the background of your avatar?!?!?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 700
Likes: 0
From: Lantana TX
Originally Posted by JoeRags
depends what you mean by "nice winter." i'm still young and frolic in the snow... i spent every free moment in Vermont snowboarding on what little snow there was.... I still love the snow, but give that 20 years... i'm sure it will change!!!!
it must be nice being able to drive the vette year round!!!
whats that I see in the background of your avatar?!?!?
it must be nice being able to drive the vette year round!!!
whats that I see in the background of your avatar?!?!?
That is great
I have the Texas address and 4 ft of snow in the back ground.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 700
Likes: 0
From: Lantana TX
Originally Posted by gavanm01
aahhh, Texas...just a tiptoe through the tornados this time of year...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
Likes: 7
From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
Originally Posted by 76 sting
Good point but I am lucky if I drive 1000 miles a year and looking to clean up the engine and free up a few ponnies
I can't believe I could not find such basic info anywhere on the web this blows my mind.
Hopefully someone will chime in
I can't believe I could not find such basic info anywhere on the web this blows my mind.
Hopefully someone will chime in
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
Likes: 7
From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
Originally Posted by comp
i'd like to see real test info on this ,,i bet it has been done
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
76Sting, ok, here is your last reason. Everything else being equal;
Useing an electric pump will actaully cost more hp than the mechanical one, reason is, the mechanical pump is driven directly off the belt being driven by the motor and that has a certain efeciency, not 100% but high. The electrical pump with the same mechanical capacity will require from the motor, not only the same amount of mechanical energy to drive the pump, but also an additional amount that is wasted doing the conversion from mechanical to electrical energy and back to mechanical in the pump. there are two additional energy conversion steps to use an electrical pump as oposed to a mechanical pump, none of which are 100% effecient, thats why alternators and electrical motors get hot, they actually consume energy instead of doing a 100% conversion from electrical to mechanical energy.
Besides all that, I doubt the electrical pumps are designed for 100% duty, meaning I don't think I would trust it to drive more than a short trip.
Useing an electric pump will actaully cost more hp than the mechanical one, reason is, the mechanical pump is driven directly off the belt being driven by the motor and that has a certain efeciency, not 100% but high. The electrical pump with the same mechanical capacity will require from the motor, not only the same amount of mechanical energy to drive the pump, but also an additional amount that is wasted doing the conversion from mechanical to electrical energy and back to mechanical in the pump. there are two additional energy conversion steps to use an electrical pump as oposed to a mechanical pump, none of which are 100% effecient, thats why alternators and electrical motors get hot, they actually consume energy instead of doing a 100% conversion from electrical to mechanical energy.
Besides all that, I doubt the electrical pumps are designed for 100% duty, meaning I don't think I would trust it to drive more than a short trip.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 700
Likes: 0
From: Lantana TX
Sixfooter,
Thanks for the info. I guess I will scratch the elec pump and stick with the mech. as most if not all see that it is not the best way to go for a street light strip ussage.
Thanks to all
Cheers
Thanks for the info. I guess I will scratch the elec pump and stick with the mech. as most if not all see that it is not the best way to go for a street light strip ussage.
Thanks to all
Cheers
Pro
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 520
Likes: 5
From: Front Range
Originally Posted by JoeRags
you'll just be pulling more power off the alternator, which will in turn, induce more drag on the engine.
Useing an electric pump will actaully cost more hp than the mechanical one, reason is, the mechanical pump is driven directly off the belt being driven by the motor and that has a certain efeciency, not 100% but high. The electrical pump with the same mechanical capacity will require from the motor, not only the same amount of mechanical energy to drive the pump, but also an additional amount that is wasted doing the conversion from mechanical to electrical energy and back to mechanical in the pump. there are two additional energy conversion steps to use an electrical pump as oposed to a mechanical pump, none of which are 100% effecient, thats why alternators and electrical motors get hot, they actually consume energy instead of doing a 100% conversion from electrical to mechanical energy.
It's common sense that if you run an electric water pump, you'll need a higher output alternator to compensate. That's the beautiful thing about the Delco alternator though, all you have to do is upgrade the internals, and you have more juice.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
Originally Posted by iNdigo
The alternator produces a constant amount of rotational resistance to the crankshaft, it does not modulate according to the draw on the electrical system.
Go out and play with any gas powered generator- connect and disconnect a sizeable load from it and see what happens to the engine driving it.
The point made above by sixfooter is right on the money. Converting mechanical to electrical to mechanical cannot be 100% efficient.
You said yourself that it's 'common sense' to understand that you would need a bigger alternator to drive an electric water pump. Are you suggesting there no additional load on the engine from a bigger alternator?
Pro
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 520
Likes: 5
From: Front Range
well, i'd certainly have to see this in a controlled experiment to believe it... i'm not about to disconnect my alternator output terminal while the engine's running.
i'm assuming the reasoning behind your statement is that the electromagnetic field changes intensity depending on load or RPM, and when the field becomes more powerful it produces some sort of magnetic resistance to the direction of rotation?
I still don't see how this could make a significant difference. Then again I'm running a 140A alternator, so maybe I just don't notice the difference.
intriguing to say the least. do you have some references you can point us to, i'd like to read more about it.
i'm assuming the reasoning behind your statement is that the electromagnetic field changes intensity depending on load or RPM, and when the field becomes more powerful it produces some sort of magnetic resistance to the direction of rotation?
I still don't see how this could make a significant difference. Then again I'm running a 140A alternator, so maybe I just don't notice the difference.
intriguing to say the least. do you have some references you can point us to, i'd like to read more about it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 1
From: AL
JoeRags: if you should lose your electric water pump on the street... your up sh**'s creek.
But for the sake of the thread, check out the following link:
http://www.stewartcomponents.com/tec...ech_Tips_7.htm
it has some test data. Somewhere in an article, can't find right now, was a pic of a test setup. But it was like you would expect to see for measuring flow, ref any fluid flow text.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 10,643
Likes: 8
From: Foxfield CO 1970 Convertible
Originally Posted by 76 sting
Sixfooter,
Thanks for the info. I guess I will scratch the elec pump and stick with the mech. as most if not all see that it is not the best way to go for a street light strip ussage.
Thanks to all
Cheers
Thanks for the info. I guess I will scratch the elec pump and stick with the mech. as most if not all see that it is not the best way to go for a street light strip ussage.
Thanks to all
Cheers
If it gets hot in TX and you drive in traffic where you might come to a stop, you might reconsider an electric.
iNdigo - what alternator are you running? I'd like to up the power in mine also...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,020
Likes: 1
From: Nederland Texas
I gave this a lot of consideration brfore ultimatley going with a belt-driven water pump. I plan to take road trips of up to 5 hours. Mezierre has advertised their pumps as continuous duty pumps. I do believe this is possible as some European autos are running electric pumps. But, I didn't want to be halfway to Bowling Green KY from TX and have it quit. Hard to buy a Meziere or other replacement electric pump at Auto Zone in PoDunk USA! However, a mechanical pump can be had pretty much anywhere.
But, the upside to an elctric pump that really interested me was that it could be controlled with the engine off between rounds at the track...cool the engine between passes! If I wanted to drive it in a parade it would have full flow at idle unlike a belt-driven pump.
Much to consider, and I may even change to an electric later on.
-Patrick
But, the upside to an elctric pump that really interested me was that it could be controlled with the engine off between rounds at the track...cool the engine between passes! If I wanted to drive it in a parade it would have full flow at idle unlike a belt-driven pump.
Much to consider, and I may even change to an electric later on.
-Patrick