My new 1988 T/A

[DynoDave]

Not time for a little VHT Engine paint on the fasteners, thermostat housing and plate.









VERY glossy. My mistake. When it said black engine paint, I "assumed" it would be like the black engine paint on my GM engine, like the pulleys, semi-gloss / chassis black. These will stand out like a sore thumb. I had planned to paint the new water pump with the same paint, but that's not going to happen. Speaking of water pumps....

[DynoDave]

I had purchased a low hour used Edelbrock water pump from a member here many years back. This would have been the time to install it, but it was at the epicenter (cause, I think......well, I can't say cause...I WAS THE CAUSE) of the garage fire a few years ago, and is no more.

I later acquired a PRW water pump on clearance from Rock Auto as a replacement for the Edelbrock. Aluminum, roller bearing, CNC machine iron impeller for durability and precision (one would guess). And dirt cheap on sale. Chinese. Unfortunately, it got "lost" in the shuffle of items after the garage fire. Couldn't find it when I needed it.

So I'm buying a 3rd pump. Eddy had nothing for me, so after reviewing several options, I lighted on a FlowKooler. Unfortunately, they did not have my pump in aluminum, so I bought the iron version. Again, promises of improved impeller design, CNC machining for tighter clearances and improved efficiency, sealed roller bearings, etc. Claimed improved flow, and more "pressure" in the cooling system to prevent hot spots (don't think I'm buying that story....the whole system is pressurized already). Made in the USA.

So of course, shortly after the FlowKooler shows up, I find the PRW. So now I have a choice to make.

Our candidates....stock pump on the bottom. No leaks, but 38 years old, rusty, 60-some thousand miles. I can't see putting it back on. In the middle is the FlowKooler, and the PRW on top. (Can anyone else my age see "PRW", and not think "PAW"? But I digress...)















Double checked the measurements....hubs all at the same height off the floor....mounting bosses all at roughly the same height (the PRW are slightly shorter, but they give you new hardware, and the mounting bolts have washers, where the factory hardware did not. The aftermarket ones have a heater hose provision which the factory does no, and the PRW has an additional tab at the bottom (to mount a support to the timing cover for roller cam conversion??? Or ???). But otherwise, all dimensionally accurate as far as I can tell / check.

So far, I'd say the edge goes to the PRW, because if all else is the same, why not save a few pounds. But lets look inside.

[DynoDave]

12 or 13 years ago, I bought this $8 item off of ebay....a small bore scope with light, powered by, displayed on, and recorded/photographed by your cell phone (Samsung S4 in my case...no phone service anymore (3G/4G) you'll see it still working in the background of some of my bench photos, playing music loaded to it, or streaming KSHE radio, 103.1 out of Lapeer, 103.9 out of Flint, 104.9 WEGE for Dee Snider's House of Hair, Sammy Hagar's Top Rock Countdown, NASCAR Races on MRN or PRN, etc....great little phone....bought one for me and one for my son when he turned 16...he's not 29).
Don't use it often, but great to have when you DO need it.






These are photos with my current phone of my old phone.

Here's the factory pump. Welded steel vanes. Actually looks like a better design than I had expected...in the past I've seen these stamped into 90 degree angles, like an alternator fan. These actually have some curvature to them. And pretty tight clearances. Not bad IMO. Not bad at all.





Now a peak inside the FlowKooler and all of it's CNC'd aluminum anaodized glory. Agin, nice tight clearances. I like it.




And lastly the CNC'd iron impeller of the PRW. Ummm...what is that cast nub? Yikes! Look at the gaps! And where's the CNC machining? On the back side? Not a pump designer, but this looks terrible to my eye.







This internal inspection made my choice easy. FlowKooler for the win! I'll take the extra weight in favor of a design that better meets it's primary purpose...pumping coolant. That chinese thing will go back in the box and on the shelf, and I'm glad I didn't pay much for it. Will probably sit there until I die, and my wife can throw it out.

Have some different engine paint in a semi-gloss finish ordered, along with matching primer. Should be here Monday. I'll paint the pump then, and if I like the finish, maybe dust a bit of it over the other overly-glossy parts.

[DynoDave]

It's not often that things go smoothly with aftermarket parts. But I figured, it's a SBC water pump....what could possibly go wrong?

FlowKooler casting is thicker in many places, and does not fit between the aluminum accessory brackets.

BOOM! Hits here. Can't line up the bolt holes. Upper right corner.



BOOM! Hits here. Upper Left corner.



BOOM! Hits here too, on the lower left corner.



The only place there is good clearance...lower right corner.



I didn't want to start grinding on it until I found out if they had another part # that might be thinner and fit my application better. Spoke with them today, and they do not. So there's some grinding in my future for this evening.

It's hard to SEE the difference, but the mounting points are thicker, as well as other points on the pump housing.

[MP81]

I hate when I spent money on something that is supposed to fit, and then it does not.

[DynoDave]

Yeah, it's discouraging. My Alston subframe connectors...I get it....they will require some massaging to get them right.

But this is a SBC water pump for goodness sake. Just NOT something I expected to have to re-work. But, it is what it is. Didn't have time to carve on this last night, and have a high-pressure, err, congenial professional salesman stopping by tonight to price a replacement from door. Guess it's goin to be a Friday night or weekend thing. Just need decent enough weather to do that grinding outside.