Hi guys, Has anyone used an electric water pump on a high HP motor on the street with success? Texas kinda of heat? We are in the finial mock up stages of my new Tomahawk build and I was wonder which direction to go. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated. Thanks
I have an electric water pump on a 600+ HP street car. Don't drive it enough to know how it is in extra heat. Considering about doing the same on another 455 I am putting together, but if I can fit a fan and standard pump that is the way I will go. All electric systems require a bigger alternator and more systems to fail on a street car, like water pump, fans, fuel pump. However on an all strip car I prefer Alcohol or nitromethane with no water at all. Less things to get in the way!
Thanks Ken. Yep i hear you on additional systems. This will be a supercharger efi deal in E85. A lot of new systems to learn, understand and keep running.
I run a meziere 55gph electric water pump and a Spal electric fan on my radiator. Keeps our 900+hp tomahawk cool on the street even in 35'C heat. We run E85 also and think it helps with the cooling a bit. Cheers
If the car will see any extended 3000 rpm or up highway driving, the electric pump may not move enough water thru the rad even though you have plenty of air ! note also that all electric pumps WILL fail and the more you use it , the sooner it will do so ,where as a belt driven pump will just start to leak first ! a electric pump only saves you at best 8 hp, so is getting that last scrap of power a make or break for you ?
Do not use an electric water pump but I do have heavy duty electric fans and they can be a big electric draw at low engine speeds. I looked up the draw on the water pump and they can do up to 12 amps, fans up to 40 amps, headlights can be up to 20 amps and ignition takes a few more. Point being get a great alternator. Opps, forgot fuel pump that is another 12 amps. The good news is with the blower whine you will not need a radio. :grin:
Thanks guys for the replies. Food for thought for sure! We will see which way this deal goes in final mock up. I think JW should have it mock up next week....I hope . Not sure what we will make in the HP department but it will be more than my 464 made.....by a good amount I believe.
Electric pump sounds , looks , is , spiffy. BUT not spiffy for street. Depends on how much spiffy your into.
run a s/c 350 in a front engine dragster, meziere pump, with the little Honda radiator. thought it ran hot until I checked it with a thermal gun. only 150-160 at the heads/block. surprised me.
There's some old school thinking out there that doesn't really apply any longer. Electric motors are very reliable these days. You can find electric pumps that move enough water to cool just about anything. I would not hesitate running a good electric pump on the street with a good radiator and fan combo to go along with it. It comes at a cost though. Fans and pumps pull lots of amps.
Probably one that cost a lot , if the pump motor can be replaced , or brushes and bearings and seal are serviceable , there's off pump old school that are belt drive, or ur spiffy ones like TA sells . But if you got the total package why not . Mainly ment for better cooling at idle . Ounce your on the road it has to be able to match the demand. At one speed is it always gonna be enough? You can get high flow efficient water pumps and get a slightly larger pully and probably gain more hp than any gain from electric. Any claimed hp gain from electric does not calculate the loss from amp draw in there adviser sing .
For travels more than 50 miles from home give me a belt driven pump and a aluminum flex fan please, and I will gladly live with the 5 hp decrease in peak HP! two years ago I was in buddy's car 80 miles from home at 11:30 pm when a very small piece of crap ( looked like steel shot) Jamed the impeller on his electric pump and in turn blew fuse after fuse and needless to say it was 4 am by the time we got home! had this been a belt driven set up the issue would have never taken place, or if it did we could have likely backed up the impeller by means of the belt and freed things up!
I don't think op is worried about gaining 5 or 10 hp by switching to an electric pump. I'm gonna guess it has more to do with making accessories fit with a cog or gear drive blower
^^^^ this is what we are considering and worried about. We made a few changes to our accessory set up and just looking at our options. HP is not a problem with this build. In fact we are gonna make way more than we can use with the current car's set up. Thanks everyone for your feedback!!!
Jim, are you going to used cog belt? On mine it was a pain to get a power steering pump in. With my 12 rib set up it was possible to get the PS pump under the D-1 on drivers side. It is a GM II pump with remote reservoir. Cog belt makes that a lot harder.
Yes we are going to reuse my 50mm cog set up. No power steering right now but the bbc adapter place has provision for one and has worked in the past.
Looking forward to seeing it. Good luck on this build. I will warn you that blower projects are subject to the law of "infinitely cascading consequences." ou:
I am sure we will surpass the 1087 hp we did on the stock block. This new deal has been a long adventure.....and expensive!! Sure hope it is worth it .
