I'm fixing to replace my factory radiator with a Dewitt's aluminum one with electric fans. I was thinking about swapping out my aluminum water pump with an electric one at the same time. Anyone running electric water pumps? Advantages/disadvantages????

I mainly run the car on the street but occasionally will take it to the strip for fun.

 

 

8-10 HP gain according to the powers that be.
http://www.superchevy.com/technical/...ump/index.html

Get ready for some serious flame wars, electric water pumps are a sensitive subject.
I plan on running a 35gpm electric pump on my daily driver 383, if I ever get it finished.

 

If you plan on a CSR or Meziere type on your small block, and have power steering, you won't be able to run a fan belt to the alternator. Otherwise, I know many (other than C3 owners) who run electric pumps on the street with no problems. Those who drag race get about 5-10 HP on the top end.

 

My LS1 engine had a Meziere electric pump on it when I bought it so I left it on. I have had no cooling problems at all using it with the DeWitt's replacement radiator for the 200 HP original radiator (the small one). The LS1 is modified and producing much more HP than the stock Camaro HP numbers. How much more still remains to be seen but the engine is very strong.



Rick B.

 

hello,

I run a proform pump on my 75 l-48. The alternator belt does just kiss the pump at the very extreme smallest belt size - on the plus side, the belt no longer rides on the power steering pump "belt guard" anymore. I know beejay runs a moroso pump.

I am very happy with the pump. Two things it does admirably are: that at idle/stop and go traffic, the car temps are well in hand unlike the stock pump and fan - I also have dual spals set at 170on/155off and 185on/170off deg with a 180 deg thermostat. The unexpected benefit was that cockpit heat problem is virtually eliminated. My car runs so cool with a really lightweight aluminum radiator that it acutally has trouble holding full thermostat temps on cold days - I did drill a bypass hole in the thermostat of 3/16". My second spal fan hardly ever runs.

A couple of things you must consider. The pumps generally do not have a heater core return fitting. So, you either have to not have heat or find an inline tee that goes into the lower radiator hose. That is not so easy, you need a 1 3/4 x 1 3/4 x 3/4 tee from street and performance, the only place I have found. In the tee I added another 3/16" orifice to even the flow between heater core and bypass thru the thermostat when it is closed. This eliminated the heat in the cockpit problem, but still plenty of heat when required. If you disconnect the heater I think you need the bypass hole in the thermostat - the pump does not like to be dead ended.

The proform pump takes only 6 amps which is really nothing. Mine runs anytime the ignition is on. It is so quiet with the engine off it is hard to hear it running. For autocross, it's perfect to cool the engine between runs. During a 100 deg autocross day I would leave the ignition on and could get the temp down in two minutes tops (one or both spals turn off meaning the temps dropped to less the 170 deg). I have also been on the road course and drivers clinics, the car has never gotten close to its old running temp of 195 deg C.

And yes, I did think the pump improved the cars performance. The engine is quieter and picks up revs a little quicker. 5-10 hp, that seems about right.

 

FYI....CSR does have a sb Chevy pump with a heater hose fitting. I am considering getting this one....

See link: http://www.csr-performance.com/shop/...et-small-block

 

Let us know how it works out