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KGS · 09-14-2019, 06:07 AM

Here is a post from GM that may answer your question.
I have built a water pump test machine, tested the flow of pumps and did controled tests of engines for hundreds of hours over a 10 years period on flat head Ford engines. The results I state are tested, documented and proven not what "I think", "Should happen" or WAGs. Why don't you make provisions to add 5 gallons of water into the system, run some tests and report accual results. On the first pump impeller modification on the 33 phaeton which was over heating Purple Ice was first instaledl after 8 or 10 static tests under the same controled conditions everytime. The over heating was the same everytime with the temperature going to 229 with the cap off and would spit 3 or 4 quarts of water. When the Purple Ice was installed the temperature went to 217 sat there about 10 minutes and the temperature came down slowly over a 20 minute period to 207. This was obserbed on a laser pointed gun as the temperature dropped. Every time we ran it after that it only went to 207. That being to hot I modified the impeller on one 33 head mounted pump. On the water pump test machine the stock 32 to 36 pumps deliver 55 gallons each in 5 minutes. This modified pump showed 92 gallons in 5 minutes. Only having one pump it was installed on the right head and the test was repeated. The flat head engine has two separate cooling systems, left and right connected only in the radiator. On this test the right side water comming out of the modified pump to the radiator was 180 and the left side with the stock pump was close to 207. The modified pump was swapped to the left side and the left side ran at 180 and the right side went up to 207. As far as I was concerned this was positive proof that more water pumped through the system was the solution to cool these engines. Without any hesitation I had a multible impeller pattern made and had a foundry cast the new imellers. The rest is proven results by the thousands of people who installed these pumps with most engines running in the range of 25 to 30 degrees cooler. The 37 to 53 pumps was more difficult. At least 10 differant style impellers were made and tested on the machine over a long period of time with no or very little improvement to increased water flow. These were never tried on engines as I knew from the 33 impeller what the results would have been. I got the idea of a turbine type impeller and it took about a week to machine it. The body of the pump also needed to be machined to the same 22 degree angle as the impeller for the impeller to be most efficiant. The clearance between the impeller is critical and every pump is carefully set for shaft clearance, impeller clearance and spring pressure of the seal. Each pump is tested for at least 5 minutes on the test machine for gallons pumped and leaks. At the end of the test 15 pounds of pressure is put in the system to check for any leaks should the pressure get to high in the system when on the engine. The stock 37 to 53 pumps deliver 65 gallons each in 5 minutes some 49 to 53s may go up as high as 70 gallons in 5 minutes. The modified pumps with the turbine impeller deliver 92 gallons in 5 minutes. With the controled clearances every pump tested delivers the desired 92 gallons. There have been some exceptions. These were some of these new after market pumps that were sent in to be modified. After being modified the flow was down in the 50 gallon range. The pumps were disassembled and random deposits of cast iron material was found internally in the pumps blocking the water passages. A hole was drilled in the bottom and with a long shaft carbide tool the excessive material was removed and the hole welded. These pumps were reassembled, retested and came up to the 92 gallon flow requirement. Pumps that are mass produced, not flow tested, shipped and installed for the end user to test may not work as good as the old pumps that were replaced. G.M.

09-14-2019, 06:07 AM	#2
KGS Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Schooley's Mountain Posts: 530	Re: Water Pump Flow Rate Here is a post from GM that may answer your question. I have built a water pump test machine, tested the flow of pumps and did controled tests of engines for hundreds of hours over a 10 years period on flat head Ford engines. The results I state are tested, documented and proven not what "I think", "Should happen" or WAGs. Why don't you make provisions to add 5 gallons of water into the system, run some tests and report accual results. On the first pump impeller modification on the 33 phaeton which was over heating Purple Ice was first instaledl after 8 or 10 static tests under the same controled conditions everytime. The over heating was the same everytime with the temperature going to 229 with the cap off and would spit 3 or 4 quarts of water. When the Purple Ice was installed the temperature went to 217 sat there about 10 minutes and the temperature came down slowly over a 20 minute period to 207. This was obserbed on a laser pointed gun as the temperature dropped. Every time we ran it after that it only went to 207. That being to hot I modified the impeller on one 33 head mounted pump. On the water pump test machine the stock 32 to 36 pumps deliver 55 gallons each in 5 minutes. This modified pump showed 92 gallons in 5 minutes. Only having one pump it was installed on the right head and the test was repeated. The flat head engine has two separate cooling systems, left and right connected only in the radiator. On this test the right side water comming out of the modified pump to the radiator was 180 and the left side with the stock pump was close to 207. The modified pump was swapped to the left side and the left side ran at 180 and the right side went up to 207. As far as I was concerned this was positive proof that more water pumped through the system was the solution to cool these engines. Without any hesitation I had a multible impeller pattern made and had a foundry cast the new imellers. The rest is proven results by the thousands of people who installed these pumps with most engines running in the range of 25 to 30 degrees cooler. The 37 to 53 pumps was more difficult. At least 10 differant style impellers were made and tested on the machine over a long period of time with no or very little improvement to increased water flow. These were never tried on engines as I knew from the 33 impeller what the results would have been. I got the idea of a turbine type impeller and it took about a week to machine it. The body of the pump also needed to be machined to the same 22 degree angle as the impeller for the impeller to be most efficiant. The clearance between the impeller is critical and every pump is carefully set for shaft clearance, impeller clearance and spring pressure of the seal. Each pump is tested for at least 5 minutes on the test machine for gallons pumped and leaks. At the end of the test 15 pounds of pressure is put in the system to check for any leaks should the pressure get to high in the system when on the engine. The stock 37 to 53 pumps deliver 65 gallons each in 5 minutes some 49 to 53s may go up as high as 70 gallons in 5 minutes. The modified pumps with the turbine impeller deliver 92 gallons in 5 minutes. With the controled clearances every pump tested delivers the desired 92 gallons. There have been some exceptions. These were some of these new after market pumps that were sent in to be modified. After being modified the flow was down in the 50 gallon range. The pumps were disassembled and random deposits of cast iron material was found internally in the pumps blocking the water passages. A hole was drilled in the bottom and with a long shaft carbide tool the excessive material was removed and the hole welded. These pumps were reassembled, retested and came up to the 92 gallon flow requirement. Pumps that are mass produced, not flow tested, shipped and installed for the end user to test may not work as good as the old pumps that were replaced. G.M.