electric water pump

[alexdeprat]

Greetings, for those of you that are interesting in getting an electrical water pump for your L-series eng. there is a company is call csi performace products, this elec. water pump works great I have one on my Z.

[inline6]

Hi,

I found out about this the other day reading a back issue of SportZ magazine. I wonder if the polarity can be reversed to achieve top down cooling? I know that topic has come up before as a way of running higher compression without detonation problems. Of course the wheel would have to cut reverse as well.

Garrett

[Ed]

link Kind of steep.:disappoin

[hls30.com]

An electric water pump is a neat idea, but I don't think in a daily driver 240Z with a 50amp alternator, and the already weakened 30 year old electrical system will handle the added 15 amp drain! Converting motion to electricity and back to motion seems like it would cost more energy than it would save. But if you have $225+ to spend for an $18 part, that may not be important! The difference between a 1 yr warranty and a lifetime warranty, and the steady flowrate versus the variable flowrate probably aren't real high in the justification either!

But hey, when everything is done on my Z, I'll buy her one for a christmas present!-it does have the "Aint-it cool!" factor!

For a Racecar it makes sense!

[inline6]

Conferred with an engineering friend of mine and he agrees with you HLS30. For dragsters, which is what these were originally built for, they are fine, as they are running off of battery power- a completely separate power source (ie no alternator). For street, using the crankshaft to turn the alternator to charge the battery, which runs the electric water pump, doesn't make sense. Just run the pump directly off of the crankshaft.

[hls30.com]

"Top down cooling" is interesting. I will have to put some thought into that, I am working out the particulars of a turbo conversion, and that sound helpful!! Me thinks you have a new thread there Inline6!

Will

[SteveK]

One advantage of an electric pump is that even with the engine off, some flow can be provided.

For example you have been for a long hard run in the Z, park up, turn the engine off you run the risk of cooking the engine.

With an electric pump you could set it to run for say a couple of minutes after turn off thus allowing the engine to ramp down

Yes the device must still be powered and you don’t get something for nothing as Mr Einstein would say, but you are removing the dynamic load of the water pump in favour of a "buffered" load via the alternator thus you would free up "some" (probably not measurable) HP

Another advantage is the ability to vary the flow independent of the engine speed, this is particularly useful when putting adverse loads (engine working harder, burning more fuel thus getting hotter with less air flow)on the engine, e.g. hill climbs etc when it would be desirable to have in increased flow independent of engine speed

Another is, with a conventional system, bust a belt and you have lost both the alternator and the pump.

However I do agree with the points that

A, The electrical system needs to be in good condition (should be regardless)

B. The alternator should be upgraded (not a bad idea regardless)

[hls30.com]

Steve you have some good points, but:

1) I have never seen a electric water pump that came with anything more than an on or off temperature controlled relay-a variable voltage control would add even more to the cost-dissapating 15A is not as easy-or inexpensive-as a Radio Shack potentiometer!

2) What happens when a part goes out on the electric water pump, it sure isn't like you can run down to your local part house and be back on the street the same day for less than $25 (unless you revert to an original pump).

I think Electric pumps are PERFECT FOR MANY RACING VENUES, but a daily driver just isn't one of them from a keep it on the road standpoint! I find it a hard sell to replace something that works, is plentiful, and cheep with something expensive, and difficult to obtain parts for- one of the reasons I drive an old Datun, and not a Ferrari!

Will

[SteveK]

Hls30 you wrote

"1) I have never seen a electric water pump that came with anything more than an on or off temperature controlled relay "

Go to

http://www.daviescraig.com.au/newproduct.html

and become enlightened

"2) What happens when a part goes out on the electric water pump, it sure isn't like you can run down to your local part house and be back on the street the same day for less than $25 (unless you revert to an original pump)."

OK have a 30 year old water pump shaft or bearings fail and go through your rad and your in a world of pain that your local parts store dont gonna fix.

BTW at V high engines speeds pumps can consume as much as 15% of power produced and become inefficient due to cavitation

[hls30.com]

SteveK here is my reply!

1) Thanks for the info-$550 for the pump and controller! I said: "a variable voltage control would add even more to the cost."

$280 every 2000 hours of operation to replace the pump-no

other parts are available!

2) in 20 years of driving an S30 I have never let a waterpump or fan blade touch my radiator. Once a week-to every 2 weeks I check a list of things for problems-including loosening the belts and checking the pulleys and shafts for play! It really isn't that tough to figure out when your water pump is going bad!

I appreciate your water pump info!

In your daily driver, just how much time do you actually spend at or above 80% of redline(a little over 5000rpm)? Racing is different!

I will modify my statement to fit the changes in the situation.

In a daily driver, if you want to forget about preventative maintanence, then spending more than $550 initially and $280 every four to six years for a substitute of a part that costs $20 and usually lasts at least as long (up to 30 years acording to your words, and I quote"a 30 year old water pump" ) may be worth it!

in the 20 years and almost 400,000 miles I have driven Zs daily, I have spent less than $65(lifetime warranty) on water pumps, and missed driving a total of only about twelve hours in replaceing them(2hrs each+ time getting the part-Autozone, Napa, and Parts America are all less than a mile away, but are usually fairly buisy). If I applied the prices of the electric counterparts I would have spent almost $1,700 and at least 120 hours waiting on parts-asumming no waiting over weekends, and that my order would be shipped the same day I ordered it (closest dealer is atleast 1 delivery day away) !! A more realistic time figure would be more like 200 hours-the first water pump I lost was in Panama City, Fl. over a holiday weekend-3 days UPS from the closest dealer

You haven't proven to me that a $550 electric water pump is a worthwhile upgrade for a $18 oem style unit in a daily driver!

Thanks for teaching me about electric water pumps, voiceing your opinion, and putting me to task!

Will

BTW that is a beautiful Z!

[SteveK]

Each to their own I say

I see nothing wrong with spending a few hundred $ on a potential improvement

Bit like

Triples

Electric fuel pumps

Injection

Electric fans

Stereos

Vented discs

Turbo's

Headers

Cams

Rolling roads

Hey if we didn’t try stuff, we would all be comparing which air fresheners and running on crossply tyres

BTW thanks for the compliment on the Z, there aren’t that many 240Z's in the UK (last know 152 registered) -- keeps all the "ricers" that haunt the high street guessing as to what it is which is funny in itself.

[hls30.com]

SteveK

Now, if I had some of those mechanical upgrades already paid for-using more money for an Electrical Water pump would be a no-brainer!

You have a great point-"Hey if we didn’t try stuff, we would all be comparing which air fresheners and running on crossply tyres" ! Someone has to have the guts to try new things, otherwise there is no progress-thanks for taking the heat and being a leader!

I am glad you, and your beautiful car, are representing Z car owners in the UK and keeping the ricers dazed and confused-not that they need any help in that area.

I am working on a LED conversion for the taillights & indicators-talk about questioning a cost effective performance upgrade-what am I thinking-the bulbs work, they are cheep and readily available. I just want something different-sounds like we aren't that different after all!:stupid:

Will