Electric water pumps?

Anybody had any problems or sugestions for electric water pumps on a 92 L98, daily driver, in a year or two will be a 383.

Looking at a proform from jegs that puts out 35+gpm for $140. Its cheaper than most of the others, and I'm not completly sure why. I'm scared to buy the cheapest one, but it looks fine.

A electric water pump would be a mistake on a Daily Driver. One, I want that pump running when the engine is and not depending on the electrical system.
Find for a Drag car which isn't driven daily.

There are a quite a few using the Meziere Electric Pump on daily driven LT1's. My friend has had his on the car for over18 months. It keeps the engine cooler when stuck in traffic too.

Well good luck to him then. Why don't you buy one also if they are so great?? Not for a daily driven street car,

Well good luck to him then. Why don't you buy one also if they are so great?? Not for a daily driven street car,
Why the hell not? Mechanical things can break as well and if its wired up well i dont see the problem because if the install is done properly you wont have a problem. Plus im sure if you were that worried you could put a gauge in your car to show you that youre getting pressure at the pump.

Too much touble for such a small gain and the problems. I will stick to the tried and true method. :rolleyes:

Electric water poumps will keep your car cooler than the stock mechanical WP at lower rpm, but since the electric WP has the same flow rate at all engine speeds, it will not provide sufficient cooling flow for your engine at higher rpm. This should only be a problem if you road race/autox your car....where it will see longer periods of high rpm use. None of the road racing/autox guys run electric WPs for this reason.

Just some food for thought...

I have been running a CSI pump on mine for year or so now with no problems. My suggestion for anyone running a pump is wire it with a warning light so if it goes, you will know. I have been meaning to find a buzzer or chime for mine(I have a light too) in case it goes.

My CSI cost less than a GM replacement. Plus, I can change it in about 5 minutes now if it were to break.

Well good luck to him then. Why don't you buy one also if they are so great?? Not for a daily driven street car,

I do have one, I am just not finished putting my car together.

Daily driven or not, I'd rather have an electric w/p. Both mechanical and electrical ones get worn out or stop working. The electrical one is a ton easier to change out, too.

I've got a CSI electric pump on my blown LT1 with no problems with overheating. It's super simple to change as well, just remove the fans (8 bolts, 2 plugs) and the pump itself (a few bolts and a single plug). No need to replace gaskets or anything. I've been running the pump for nearly 2 years now with no problems except for a broken fuse holder which was an easy fix. :)

I have been running a CSI pump on mine for year or so now with no problems. My suggestion for anyone running a pump is wire it with a warning light so if it goes, you will know. I have been meaning to find a buzzer or chime for mine(I have a light too) in case it goes.

My CSI cost less than a GM replacement. Plus, I can change it in about 5 minutes now if it were to break.


Which csi do you have? I'm looking at buying the csi-901c to go on my 400 that gets real hot at idle in town.

Thanks, Andrew.

Andrew, the part number in Jeg's is 170-901. It doesn't include the housing like the one you are looking at. But it is probably the same pump.

Those siamese bores aren't liking the city driving eh?:)

i'm just curious, how much GPM does a stock mechanical pump flow at a given rpm? I just was wondering so i could compare to a electric pump.

Everyone is hung up on the flow ratings of the electric pumps. The manufacturers want you to get sidetracked by a number that makes them look good. The problem is, a water pump not only moves water, it pressureizes the block. Water under pressure will have a higher boiling point. So, you will be less likley to boil water that is pressurized by a mechanical water pump. It takes 3-7 hp to turn a water pump, you know that little electric motor is not a 3 hp motor, it is probably not a 1 hp motor. It really is not up to severe use. Yes, some of these pumps will live on a daily driver, but they won't keep the car cool very long at high speeds, or during lots of acceleration (such as a quick trip on a back road, depending how you drive). So, yes, they can work (it seems, but I'd not own one) on daily drivers, just remember not to try to run the car to its potential. Here is some info:

http://frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?act=ST&f=8&t=1658&

[QUOTE=trackbird] The problem is, a water pump not only moves water, it pressureizes the block. Water under pressure will have a higher boiling point. So, you will be less likley to boil water that is pressurized by a mechanical water pump.


The pump doesn't pressurize the coolant. That happens when the coolant expands due to heat. There is just as much pressure in my system now as before with the mech. pump.

[QUOTE=trackbird] The problem is, a water pump not only moves water, it pressureizes the block. Water under pressure will have a higher boiling point. So, you will be less likley to boil water that is pressurized by a mechanical water pump.


The pump doesn't pressurize the coolant. That happens when the coolant expands due to heat. There is just as much pressure in my system now as before with the mech. pump.


You are incorrect. The pump is pushing water into the block. The thermostat resists letting it out. You will generate "pressure" in this situation. When the pump has more capacity than the "leak" at the other side, you will have pressure.

Think of the thermostat as a door. Go lean on a closed door. You can put several hundred pounds of force (body weight) against that door. The door is closed so you are not moving (no flow), but you have pressure.

Make sense?

When these belt driven pumps are using 7 hp or more (you gain 5-10 hp with an electric pump?), they are using enough energy to pressurize the block against the thermostat and the return lines. That HP is being used somewhere. Any that is not going into flow, becomes pressure (or essentially so).

You are incorrect. The pump is pushing water into the block. The thermostat resists letting it out. You will generate "pressure" in this situation. When the pump has more capacity than the "leak" at the other side, you will have pressure.

Think of the thermostat as a door. Go lean on a closed door. You can put several hundred pounds of force (body weight) against that door. The door is closed so you are not moving (no flow), but you have pressure.

Make sense?

When these belt driven pumps are using 7 hp or more (you gain 5-10 hp with an electric pump?), they are using enough energy to pressurize the block against the thermostat and the return lines. That HP is being used somewhere. Any that is not going into flow, becomes pressure (or essentially so).



This is also why you need to run a thermostat,without that resistance the water flows too quickly through the radiator to cool properly. I do have a question though. What about these electric motor kits that hook to a stock pump if the motor was big enough it could be ran on a rheostat type activator to spin faster as you increase in RPM's,and in princible this should work,right?

I still disagree with the pressure theory. Let's say you have a 15lb radiator cap. Obviously it opens at 15lbs. I will bet money that no mech. water pump is going to make anywhere near 15lbs of pressure. Therefore, any pressure it is capable of is useless. The only pressurization in your cooling system comes from the expansion of water. I know that the thermostat blocks water when closed, but the pump isn't efficient enough to pressurize water to the point of raising the boiling point.

Water is a incompressable fluid. The pressure comes from the water expanding and compressing the little bit of air that is in the system that can't get out because of the radiator cap.

okay guys, when it comes down to it, which is better, electric or mechanical....there are some very good points here, its hard to tell..

Again a electric water pump is not for a daily driven street car. Period :rolleyes:

the waterpump doesn't pressurize the system, it is the heat expanding the water and the radiator cap regulates the pressure..
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cooling-system7.htm

Has anyone ever put their finger over the end of a hose with the water running? I may be wrong ,but I would say that is pressure. Pressure can be brought on by many things including heat.

I also don't think that electric pumps are meant for the street,don't think they are meant to run full time,that is why most are run on a on/off/on (tic toc) switch which turns on when the engine water gets hot ,then off when cool ,etc.,etc.

I know several people running them on daily driven cars with no problems.

Also, people always say that you need to have a thermostat or your car will overheat from the coolant flowing through the system to fast. BS I ran a 355 with no thermostat for a summer and into the start of winter with no problems at all (until winter time, it kept the coolant so cold that my heater didn't work very well).

Have you ever been to a demolition derby or figure 8 race? Every one of those cars that I have worked on, we take the thermostat and knock out the center, so it is just a restrictor. I am sure those cars run in way more stressful conditions than your daily driven car.

Martin

I know several people running them on daily driven cars with no problems.

Every one of those cars that I have worked on, we take the thermostat and knock out the center, so it is just a restrictor. I am sure those cars run in way more stressful conditions than your daily driven car.

Martin


Key word here is "RESTRICTOR "! That is exactly what a thermostate IS. :rolleyes:

Yes I am aware of that, but I also said that I ran a 355 for several months without the thermostat all together. No restrictor plate or anything. No problems at all, temp gauge hovered at 160ish all the time. I guess if you want to say not to do something because you heard it won't work instead of actually knowing it won't work, thats cool.

Martin

Then again if you have a really good radiator and get the coolant temps down farther you won't need that pressure. :confused: