I ran the 55gpm on a SBF,worked fine on the street,no issues. I couldn't use a t stat with it though. It might have just been something about my set up, but only on a hot restart, the pump would cavitate for a few seconds, sounded like it had rocks in it. Removed the t stat and no more.

 

How many HP? Did you take it to the track much? Where you running it with a controller so as to vary speed via demand or treating it as an on/off? I should've mentioned that I intend to control it with PWM.

 

I think many have the wrong perception when it comes to using electric water pumps. For highway driving a mechanical pump will move more water and improve cooling. For temperature control, electric fans and a 160 deg F thermostat does just fine. Basically a mechanical pump is cheaper, simpler, more reliable and pumps more water. Not to mention if you have a mechanical pump fails, a replacement unit is probably available within an hour at 1000's of automotive parts stores. It's just not as "sexy" as an electric pump.

As far as cooling the engine between rounds, with great electric fans my car does just fine even hot lapping, I've made 3-8 second runs in 90 degree weather in just 15 minutes.

The last factor is the mechanical pump raises the system's water pressure inside the block with also raises the boiling point of water. This results in less nucleic boiling of water at the face of hot block/head surfaces which improves heat transfer. Nucleic boiling is what you see when bubbles form at the bottom of a pot on the stove right before the water itself starts to boil.

The electric pump is good for N/A dedicated race cars or cars that have a setup that prevents running a mechanical pump. After that it might not be the best option.

I realize of course those who have already decided to change to an electric pump will still do so because they want to be more like a "race car".

 

I still use the old Moroso system. It's the one that uses an old Ford vent heater motor on a bracket that drives the stock mechanical pump with a belt. I installed an overdrive pulley, 28% I think. It has since logged THOUSANDS of street miles, no problem. At first, I would just use it at the track.... Would install a shorter alternator belt, and just use the electric pump when cooling between rounds, and would then switch back to true mechanical pump mode for the street. (car often served as a daily driver) But, after a while, I just started using the Moroso belt drive all the time. You do not want to run the belt tight at all. Just tight enough to keep it from flopping around.

 

I've been running my 55gpm Meziere on the street for 11 years now without a single issue even with my '65s tiny radiator.

 

I've got this since there was no room for a mechanical pump: https://shop.aerospacecomponents.com/remotemountwaterpump.aspx

Very small unit. I have it mounted on the frame rail.

Works well. Mostly street miles with occasional trips to the track.
BBF 635 to the tires.

 

I'll get killed for this, but...
I've had a (actually on a few Jeeps) Proform 35GPM electric setup for years. Street, strip, sand dunes use. Was on a 383, 427, then the last 430ci version SBC/nitrous deal. Never had any cooling issues whatsoever anywhere. Was a Jegs aluminum radiator, single SPAL fan, that pump, and no t-stat.
I liked the electric setup mostly for the quick cool downs. I'd make 3-4 runs at the dunes, when it's 80 degrees out in the blazing hot sun/sand. Park it, turn the fan/pump on, and literally watch the temp gauge go down.

 

Topfun identified the one issue that is my main concern - pressure difference at full load (6000-7000 rpms). According to Stewart's website the current pump can move 100+ gallons/minute at 6500rpm, but the electric will be at 35 or 55 depending on the pump. I do understand that I'm not moving 100+ gallons due to the thermostat restriction, hence, up goes the pressure and the cooling effect. And the electric pump won't be able to generate that same pressure and I assume the same cooling affect....I think. Also, that's the reason for asking for someone with experience in the HP range that I'm in.

I will say that I'm not convinced to make the swap - and I'm definitely not looking into this for anything other than functionality. I'm not a form over function type in the least bit. I want to be able to have it run hotter on the highway in lowish (sub 50 degree) ambient temps, cool down after shut off, and maybe even cool it off better at low rpm driving when the converter is slipping. The last reason I didn't mention in the original post, but the warmest the motor will get is when we pull into the driveway. The reason being is that we climb more than 500 ft in vertical elevation to get to the house over 1 to a 1.5 miles depending on the route taken.

502ss - I'm not to proud to run a low budget pump if it will work. How much power are you making with the nitrous hit?

65stickstang - how much you makin' with your build?

Thanks for all the responses.

I am wondering if I should lose the 1:1 pulley ratio and go with more of a standard street pulley ratio. And then try a thermostat with less holes drilled in it. I originally tried less holes and the motor got too hot prior to thermostat originally opening. But since then, I've added '4 corner' steam vents vs the previous setup that had only 2.

 

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We made a little over 670 on the motor. 95% of the time we put 250 on top of that with the nitrous, and 300 at other times.
The trans temps would keep me from making passes well before motor temps would

 

What determines how much flow you need? From my experience, it's not that much. I mean, maybe if you were road racing at full load and rpm for minutes at a time, but drag racing and blasting around on the street, I've never had a problem... and that's using the puny Moroso drive.

If the pump is super fast, the water doesn't spend much time in the radiator. It just cycles through super fast.
If the pump is a little slower, the water stays in the radiator longer, and cools down more.
So, which is better... and just how much pump does an engine need?

In dirt circle track, they often use water RESTRICTORS on the outlet (thermostat housing) with mechanical pumps. I realize this is designed to produce pressure inside the engine. This forces water in all the crooks and crevices, and raises the boiling point a little. But, cruising around and drag racing... what does a person really need? My experience shows, it's not that much... and that's on a car that was driven on 100 mile one way trips, and then 40 miles back and forth to work every day.

 

If the pump is a little slower, the water stays in the radiator longer, and cools down more.

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If its slower , it stays in the engine longer and gets hotter .

 

Topfun99 - As usual you are spot on. You will never beat the reliability of a mechanical pump on a street car.

I suggest never using an electric pump with a triple pass radiator. Triple pass is to restrictive for an electric water pump.

We find that most drag race only cars only need a 35gpm pump, the 42-55gpm will only help cool faster between round.

Most street cars with any HP should run the 55gpm pump. It's pretty rare that you get a call from a guy saying his 600+hp car is running to cool, when we do we say install a thermostat.

We have found that some high boost applications will want more pump pressure to keep the heads cool so a mechanical pump may be necessary.

To the OP, If your current pump is doing such a good job and it’s 90% street driven, I wouldn’t change anything.

 

Thanks. The running too cool I think is more of a function of having too many holes drilled in the thermostat along with the standard LS 4 corner steam ports that I have #2 hoses on rather than the normal LS tiny steel lines.

I'm taking it all in right now. A week or to ago I was ready for the electric water pump and now I'm rethinking the whole thing. Maybe a cooler thermostat with only 1 hole drilled in it - or some combination of cooler t-stat and holes.

 

So this is an LS engine, I was thinking this was a Gen 1 SBC. What stewart water pump are you running? and do you have the heater hooked up or the heater port pluged?

 

It's a Motown LS - SBC short block with LS heads. That's the reason for the remote t-stat housing.

 

Meziere 55gpm, trouble free street or strip since 2001, I use correct thermostat.

 

frostbite just came out with a nice 50gpm, i can do ya a deal on one if interested