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Re: Water Pumps

To: "Randy Smith" <RSSmithIQ@cs.com>,
Subject: Re: Water Pumps
From: "Erich Coiner" <e.coiner@cox.net>
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:47:55 -0700
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Randy Smith" <RSSmithIQ@cs.com>
To: "Tiger List Serve" <tigers@autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 1:35 PM
Subject: Re: Water Pumps


> We can sit around and debate thermodynamic theory all we want, but
> personally I'm a pragmatist.  The proof is in what works and what
> doesn't.  There is a lot of speculation about what effects the cooling
> system in a Tiger.  I hear it all the time.  "I put on an Edelbrock
> water pump and it solved my overheating problem".  But did it?  Or was
> it the hose you happened to replace at the same time?  My point is, that
> unless you do a very controlled test sequence, changing one component at
> a time and testing thoroughly, it's all just speculation.
>

Let me tell you my tale.

My Tiger overheated. I tried all the cooling tricks known to the Tiger 
world., I fixed a blown head gasket.

I had:

A new 3 row radiator I bought from Rob Guerra.
Hi pitch "Canadian Ford fan.
smaller diameter water pump pulley to make the fan and water pump go faster.
LAT 79 Hood.
Overflow catch bottle to keep the radiator full of water.
Steve Laifman's sheet metal ducting and horn hole blocking plates.
Foam blocking between bottom of radiator and SL ducting.
removed the sheet metal brace that blocks about 3 rows of the radiator core.

At this point my car would run about 200 degrees in the city. My gauge was 
verified accurate against a thermocouple placed in the radiator and one of 
those IR thermometers.  When I got out on the highway the temps would rise. 
The faster I went the hotter it ran.  If  I had to climb a 4 or 5 % freeway 
grade I would hit 240F within 5 minutes of beginning the climb.

In desperation, I installed an Edelbrock water pump.  That is the ONLY 
change I made at that time.
On the next test drive the car sat on the thermostat at 185F while cruising 
the freeway.
Climbing those freeway grades causes the car to run at 200 to 205F.  The 
cooling system is now rock solid and I will and have driven the car all 
over.
I don't fear getting stuck in traffic, I will drive it on hot hot days.
Replacing the water pump made a dramatic and radical difference in the 
cooling system performance of my car.
Sure the high flow Edelbrock  pump is not going to cover a bad radiator or 
other cooling system defects.
It IS a critical piece of making a Tiger run cool in conditions the factory 
did not consider.

Erich




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