Flathead water pumps?

[derek costello]

Does anybody block off that top recirculation hole in the water pumps ??
It lets hot water from the head go into the cooled water (from the Rad)
and mix with that already cooled fluid ???

It makes more sense to have ALL the water from the heads go up to the radiator for cooling! 8BA. and EAC mercury. 49 to 54 flatheads.

[Krylon32]

When we built my 348/409 water pump to Flathead conversion kits we blocked off the by pass hole with no adverse effects. My system was every efficient in cooling the Flathead although it was scoffed at by the purists. I like you felt it was advantageous to have all the water circulating thru the system to be cooled. On my SBC powered cars I have the by pass on the block blocked off also.

[G.M.]

You can not get to much water through the radiator. The 144 tubes, the length of
the tubes and dirt in them make it impossible to get to much water. In order to
get enough water you need a 4lb pressure cap which blocks off the over flow
forcing the water through the radiator tubes. Now if you get to much and it runs
to cool you can use a 180 degree thermostat that will open and close to keep the
water near 180. The fan and the forward motion of the car plus the speed and
direction of wind make a big difference. Even with a 35 MPH HEAD wind the
engine will run cooler into the wind. G.M.

[frnkeore]

I believe those holes, are for circulation, when the thermostat is closed.

[cadillac512]

Originally Posted by frnkeore

I believe those holes, are for circulation, when the thermostat is closed.

Yep. Helps keep hot spots from developing before the stats open. Necessity is debatable though....

[Ronnieroadster]

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You will not notice any ill effects blocking the bypass I've been doing it for a very long time. Just think about all the early Flathead blocks none have a by pass and thermostats are used. Getting the coolant flowing into the block and back out is an important part of the Flathead cooling system anything that takes away from flow and capacity should be eliminated the way is see it and the way i do it.
Ronnieroadster

[Pete]

I think it makes more sense to put the cold water in at the top where the most heat is.
Works on race cars but you can't just reverse the pumps. You need to understand some of Boyle's laws of physics.

[blucar]

I am not to sure if it would be a good idea to block off the water-pump bye-pass tube on vehicles that have them. I know the Early Ford V8's did not have a bye-pass, the Y-Blocks did, don't recall seeing a bye-pass tube on an 8BA-8CM engine.
I know from first hand experience with the 59AB engine in my '36, if the thermostat sticks in the closed position on a hot day, you have a big problem.
In 1954 I was driving my '36 back to Vegas from So Cal. I was pulling the Baker Grade which is just northerly of Baker, CA., almost sea level climbing to over 4,k ft. About half way up the hill my Ford got really hot. That section of road is very desolate, I knew the road, knowing that the grade would flatten out about half way up and there was a service station there.
By the time I pulled into the station the car was a tea kettle, spraying water on the radiator cooled things down a little so we let the car sit for awhile. After the engine cooled down I started the engine and started to put water in the radiator, the engine temp stated to rise, not a good sign, walked around the car, steam was coming out of the right side exhaust, another bad sign.
A little investigative work revealed that the right head gasket was blown.
We pulled the head, the stat was stuck in the closed position. We checked the 'Offy' head, it was warped. Since this was 1954 I walked into the service station, purchased two new head gaskets and a can of Permatex sealant.
We put two head gaskets and a lot of sealant on the right head, reinstalled the head, filled the radiator with water and drove the 90 miles to Vegas. The next day I pulled both heads, had them surfaced to make them flat, installed the heads with new stats and drove the car until the engine broke a piston in the fall of '58.

[G.M.]

Blucar, Did you know Bob Morgan?? He lived here in Florida. Got divorced
and shipped his 4 or 5 old Fords to his mothers house in Ventura. I think
he since passed away. G.M.

[blucar]

G.M. Don't recall ever running into a Bob Morgan here in Ventura. I'll ask around. I was one of the original EV8 Ford Club members when it was started in about '63-64. The local Chapter, #84, had their monthly meetings in my building.