Water Pump Direction

topcatcustom · Post by **topcatcustom** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:08 am

After seeing Tony's pic of his front end (interim) the water pump is spinning anti-clockwise, I am using the same interim front end but was going to use std v-belt to drive water pump and alternator like a traditional setup- this however means that my water pump will be spinning clockwise....

Think this may be something I need to address! Are there any options for different water pumps on these later smaller covers?

TC

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 8:07 am

No, they are all 'reversed'

Chris.

Post by **katanaman** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:09 pm

I could be wrong but I dont think your going to get v belt pulleys to fit and line up anyway so you might as well go serp and save the hassle of custom stuff. I think serp is as short as you can get so you wont have any other issues going that route.

topcatcustom · Post by **topcatcustom** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:28 pm

I was going to custom make the pulleys- the reason I don't want a serp belt is that I have no power steering pump on the LH side to pull the belt tight and wrap it around the WP, and wanted to tuck the alternator right out of the way on one side so I have plenty of room for the 2" supercharger belt! Another PITA to deal with now!!!!!

Post by **katanaman** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 6:13 pm

ah gotcha, thats a bit of a problem then. You need a fair bit belt wrap with serp as well so moving the alternator and running idlers could be a hassle too. Run it all of the charger belt? Might be an option if you were making Pulleys anyway. I take it its a toothed belt so you wont get belt squeal at least.

topcatcustom · Post by **topcatcustom** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:41 pm

Did consider it- still doesn't help the water pump spinning the wrong way tho!!! And as nice as it would be I shouldn't really splash out on an EWP!!!!!

or should I... lol

Been thinking and the only way out would be to use some sort of gear drive to reverse the direction which just aint gonna happen! Not overkeen on a EWP as its more to go wrong and more money, so I rekon my only option is to go serpentine and make a couple of idler brackets up to stretch the belt in the right places.

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:14 am

You could always make a new impeller for the water pump to allow it to be driven in the same direction as the crankshaft.

Chris.

topcatcustom · Post by **topcatcustom** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:13 am

Yes thought about that but the casting and waterways are made for a smooth flow in one direction so I wouldn't get a very nice flow! There are sharp corners going the other way

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:18 pm

That doesn't matter. You'd want the water to still flow in the same direction.

You'd just need the impeller to work the other way.

Anybody got a photo of the back of a GEMS water pump?

Chris.

topcatcustom · Post by **topcatcustom** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:03 pm

Well the front of the cover looks like this:
http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.ph ... u=11148396
From the serp vs Gems cover thread in the Engines section, I see what you mean as in the water is being forced out by centrifugal type means- but it would be going completely against the grain if it was running the other way...

Post by **katanaman** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:56 pm

you could run the pump of the back of the blower belt easy enough. Toothed belts have things on the back of them all the time like tensioners and idlers. Pulleys would be a bit large but it could be a one stop and one belt solution. Other than that yes as chris said a new impeller might work, you might even get an older clockwise one to fit.

topcatcustom · Post by **topcatcustom** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:40 am

Did a complete mock up yesterday and now I think that an EWP is my only option

maybe if I had an old front cover the water pump would be up and out of the way but then I am stuck with the old oil pump... If I use the std water pump the snout on the front of my blower is going to have to be about 11" long

So its either save money by going back to an old timing cover with old oil pump (

?) or spend more money on an EWP (which with a controller might not be as bad as I thought...)!!!!!

Would some people mind giving me their opinions?!!!

Post by **katanaman** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 3:20 pm

you seem to have a complete downer on the old oil pump. All I can say is that despite its shortcomings it has proven more than enough for decades both in the rover and many versions of Buick both V8 and turbo V6. The EWP on the other hand hasn't. I am not saying the EWP doesn't work just that they are still very much in the minority and largely for me anyway unproven.

topcatcustom · Post by **topcatcustom** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 5:54 pm

True, it would probably be more than adequate for me, but after a second look I'm not sure the old water pump would clear the blower belt either.