Cam driven water pumps and engine temp?
 

I'm thinking about using cam driven pumps on my next mills is it hard to get enough engine temp using crossovers? can you still use a thermostat??can anyone post a picture of there plumbing???I know Krumbsnatcher did once before but I cant find the picture.

Don,

As you know, I have cam driven water pumps and I am running 160* thermostats, 15-20lbs of water pressure and they work fine. In the past I have had some people tell me that they don't like cam driven water pumps because they aren't good on the valve train, but couldn't tell me exactly why.

I have also been told that they do not pump enough water to keep the engine cool----another myth!

Actually, in the beginning I had too much water pressure and could not run a thermostat until we got the pluming figured out.

I personally like the cam driven water pump a lot because it elliminates a belt & pulley which is nice because it makes keeps things simpler when you have less trinkets/dressing on the engines-----and at the same time it actually dresses up the engine nicer with the finned cast aluminum timing chain cover, a cleaner/simpler look makes it easy on the eyes and when it comes to having to change out an impeller it makes it MUCH easier prosses to get to and change out and maintain vs. the belt driven style water pump way down low that are a big pain in the arse to service! My .02 of course :)

Eddie Marine! about $350 without the plumbing....thats the timing cover and the pump, Thanks Mark Just looking to update my Christmas list!

Teague sells the impellers and rebuilt kits as well---talk to Dino. If you go with this type of set-up then it takes a little re-routing of the pluming, but once you're done with that it gives the engine a really nice/clean look. Impeller maintenance is a snap! :)

Has anybody considered an electric water pump?

An electric water pump has no parasitic drag, and no pulley or belt.

vtec

I think it would work but you would still need a seawater pump....

I just looked at Summit and they are way cheaper under $300 and they pump 30 gallons per min. anyone ever try one???wouyld it pull water from the drive without the sea water pump???that would be way cool!

The problem with electric pumps, other than the potential reliability concerns, is that you're just transfering the load on your engine from the water pump to the alternator. Most electrical systems and alternators are probably not up to the task of supplying the amperage required for an electric water pump, so at a minimum the alternator will need to be replaced for a higher output unit. So while you've eliminated the water pumps drag on the engine, you've increased the alternators drag on the engine. The additional load on the alternator, and the increased heat, combine to reduce it's durability and reliability.

With an electric water pump you've got to convert mechanical energy(crank shaft and alternator rotation) to electrical energy(alternator output), then back to mechanical energy(water pump motor/impeller rotation). Each time you convert energy, you lose some since it's never 100% efficient.

I changed over to Johnson crank mounted pumps last year.Impellers take 15 minutes to change instead of an hour in my application. These are all bronze and were $99 plus I think $16 more for a bracket to hold them. They keep my 540's cool:cool:
Got them from Basic Power Industries
Harkers Island NC
www.ebasicpower.com
Check the crank. The only minor inconvenience is you have to keep your spare belts tied back on the engine. Otherwise you must remove pump bracket to change the belt. So for emergencies I have mine right there.

I've never had any luck with electric pumps in a road race application.They're ok for drag racing,make a pass then leave the pump on while in staging.30 gal a min is not enough.Just my experience with them.BOB