[DeTomaso] Best Water pump

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/17/09 12:46:22 PM, asajay at asajay.com writes:

> What is the best water pump to run in the 351C?  No bypass 
> necessary, best cooling, etc.   Brand, part number.
> 
First, this is not a 'magic bullet' assembly. I don't believe that ANY 
waterpump is so markedly superior that a user could notice it in terms of 
lowering engine temperatures. So in that regard, any pump that fits will keep the 
engine from overheating. But some hi-buck aftermarket assemblies have been 
known to crack their impellers loose from the shaft, stopping water flow and 
causing overheating with no outward sign anything's wrong- except boiling 
water on the ground.

My personal choice is the Weiand 8209. This is a flat-impeller blade pump 
with no backing plate and no bypass channel, sold everywhere for less than 
$80. It circulates water in stock of modified engines just fine, which is 
about all one can expect. It's easy to add a backplate to the Weiand impeller, 
but this will not lower your engine temps. It is roughly 1/2 the weight of a 
stock iron pump. My example has endured over 18 years of use with no 
problems except for a cracked heater boss- from overtightening a block-off plug. I 
welded the crack in 1995 and continue to use it today. The Weiand is also 
rebuildable, making it an economically desirable assembly. FWIW- J Deryke