The V8 Owners Forum -

I'm beginning to build the cooling system for my MGB V8 (3.9 Rover) and have been advised that this water pump is much more efficient than OE

http://www.flowkoolerwaterpumps.com/sto ... er&sort=2a

Has anyone had any experience of these? Or is the standard pump good enough?

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All the pump has to do is shift the coolant through the rad fast enough for the rad to cool it. Speeding up the water flow above that won't make any difference. If the standard rad can't cope you need to increase the size or the airflow through it.

Thanks Dave, so you're basically saying if my Radiator is up to scratch, the standard water pump is fine?

Yes !
With a decent radiator,airflow,the stock water pumps are adequate !
Mines a P6 pump,more then enough to cool my 5.0L,even in the worst conditions !

Thank you guys, I'll not waste money on a waterpump.

Mine is a 3.9 litre, and I'm intending running a stock V8 radiator with a kenlowe style fan rated to about 3000cfm in front of it. I also plan on using as big an expansion tank I can use, will this be adequate for a mild/fast road car?

Welshie wrote: with a kenlowe style fan rated to about 3000cfm in front of it.

Fans are best sucking from behind as otherwise it churns up the air flow trying to force it through so the efficiency is quite low. How about a smaller slimline one behind. Also, I have a big Kenlow (3,126cfm Part No: 12.HP.B/S.12V) with two speed fan and it takes 24 amps to start. That's a lot so check how you are going to wire it and it's 3 wires too!

Thanks Richard,

I'm aware pull is much better, but the issue with the MGB V8 is clearance, so I dont think there'll be room to fit a puller unless I can get a Buick 300 water pump, and where would I find one in the UK?

Is there no room to fit a conventional fan with viscous coupling?

Welshie, I'm in the middle of the same conversion, MGB Roadster with TVR 4.0ltr[3.9] + R380 gearbox + Hoyle Suspension ++++

What you need is an early water pump & housing cover. They're readilly available on ebay, V8 forums...or buy a new one direct from Clive Wheatley or Rimmer Bros.

If you haven't got a copy, buy How To Give Your MGB V8 Power by Roger Williams [Veloce Publishing] and available on Amazon etc. This is the Bible for V8 converters and gives a bucket load of good info'.

Re' your cooling. The standard V8 radiator with early pump is perfectly adequate with a lower powered engine. With a mid powered engine at circa' 200bhp you'll need to get the heat out of the engine bay. The best way of doing this is with RV8 manifolds taken through he inner wings. You should also consider an oversized alloy radiator - talk to Peter Mulberry at Mulfab near Nuneaton - he makes a very good radiator for the money. My spec' is as follows which will keep engine bay temps' correct with a 245bhp engine.

RV8 manifolds with Thermal Velocity Magma Wrap
Mulfab Alloy Radiator
Twin Sucker Fans [talk to http://www.revotec.com/] there is plenty of room between rear of rad' and front pulley.

Also, do use an engine stabilizer bar...it just helps to keep things tight.

Dave: There is, but I'd rather an electric fans.

v8250:

Thanks for the post I'm at a pretty advanced stage with the installation now and I have gone with Block Huggers. In hindsight maybe I shouldnt have but I'm working with what I have now. I have the book and have used the early timing cover so no worries there, I shall get a suitable pump.

I'm still looking at Radiators, there are alloy ones on eBay from China but I'm not sure about them and their quality, others I know using a 3.9 have had no issues with the standard rad. Regarding fans, you are using 2 right? can I have pictures? The link didn't work either by the way.

Oh yes I plan on installing a bar!

Welshie wrote:I'm still looking at Radiators, there are alloy ones on eBay from China but I'm not sure about them and their quality, others I know using a 3.9 have had no issues with the standard rad. Regarding fans, you are using 2 right? can I have pictures? The link didn't work either by the way.

Oh yes I plan on installing a bar!

Ah yes, the Chinese radiator...they appear to be superb value for money, but the welding looks poor and we have no way of knowing where the cores come from; so, although tempted, I bought from Mulfab at higer cost. Call Peter, he's a very nice guy, hugely experienced, and ask him for a price. By all means mention me [Andrew in the Subaru Forester...].

Here's the link for www.revotec.com . I've yet to pin down my spec' with them as have to measeure the max radiator area, it will be a twin sucker. Once you've got your radiator contect them for pricing. One of the advantage with Revotec is the way they mount their radiators; no cable ties passing through the radiator core[!]

Here's a picture of the Mulfab radiator compared to a std MGB V8 unit for comparison.

Welshie!
Install the usual front steady bar. And if you can make up another one to fit on the rear of the passenger side head as well. Or maybe see if you can fit another vertical support from the front of the drivers side head down to the chassis rail. When you start hitting it with big hits of power the single steady bar can act as a brace to stop the top of the engine moving under hard acceleration. But the engine mounts rotate under the steady bar and the engine gets into all sorts of odd shapes for the odd few seconds

Pel

V8250 !
Do you have any idea of the flow capacity of the ally rad you are thinking of using?

I've been toying with the idea of converting my MGB rad to an ally one. But they seem to look the same size. The copper cores and fins of a stock rad will conduct heat away much better than aluminium core tubes and fins. So if the rads are similar in design the stock radiator should be better than the ally one shouldnt it? Although the ally rad will be a lot lighter than a brass and copper rad I think !

As a conductor of heat, copper is about 60% more efficient than ally from memory?

Perry

mgbv8 wrote:V8250 ! Do you have any idea of the flow capacity of the ally rad you are thinking of using? I've been toying with the idea of converting my MGB rad to an ally one. But they seem to look the same size. The copper cores and fins of a stock rad will conduct heat away much better than aluminium core tubes and fins. So if the rads are similar in design the stock radiator should be better than the ally one shouldnt it? Although the ally rad will be a lot lighter than a brass and copper rad I think ! As a conductor of heat, copper is about 60% more efficient than ally from memory? Perry

Hi Perry, I don't know the true flow rate of the core, the input/output hose connection diameters are the same. When looking for radiators the majority of suppliers simply offer same size/design as a std radiator which, as you quite rightly say, only really gives gains due to weight. The reason why I opted for the Mulfab unit was the sensible increase in size, both core and top & bottom headers [take a close look at the pic' above], this should provide good volume/cooling capacity. The radiator fits under a std bonnet and does not protrude too low below the chassis rails :. no risk of damage. Re' core material, like for like core thermal txfr is circa' 60% better with a copper core assuming they're the same core format. The Mulfab unit uses a danish manufacturer core [can't remember the name right now...], they're very well proven with good fin-to-tube contact area. Many MG V8 racers with high o/p John Eales engines use the Mulfab unit so my choice for this unit with the little 4.0 TVR engine will be fine. Not sure what else to say except I think the radiator is the best available for design/size/efficiency to cost.

Also, I have noted your good advice re' engine stabilizer bar and it makes some sense to install a secondary bar lower down to counteract driver side engine lift. From your experience, what's the engine vibration transfer levels like when a second bar is installed?

Rgds,
Andrew

Thanks both, food for thought.

Perry, when you say the 'usual' front bracket do you mean one similar to the Clive Wheatley one that goes from the front cylinder head to chassis rail?