351 w water pump heater bypass

i have an ERA which doesn't utilize the water pump heater inlet and outlet. Does it make a difference to cap off each or put a hose to loop the inlet to the outlet
thanks LLoyd
 
The two smaller ( 5/8"? ) fittings on your pump are both inward flow to the pump. The higher one is for the by pass from t/stat housing to pump ( short 90° hose ) and the lower one is the heater return. You might be able to use that lower one as a return from the bottom of header tank on firewall. The supply TO the heater is usually from front/top of intake manifold just behind t/stat so you can plug that with a threaded plug.
 
Thanks Jac
i have them both capped off, with the era setup there is no thermostat by pass.
I'm chasing down overheating issues on hot days with the a/c on in traffic. maybe i'm asking too much of the cooling system. I just wanted to make sure that wasn't reducing the efficiency of the water pump by caping off the two inlets

lg
 

Randy V

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I don't typically use the bypass hose on any performance vehicle. I do drill a 1/8" hole in the thermostat close to the edge of the large round disc by the gasket. This allows a little bit of water through, but more importantly it allows air to be more easily purged.
 
Hi Lloyd, if you are having overheating issues then my initial thoughts would be to examine the efficiency and power of the rad fans. I changed to high power Kenlowe units on my RCR as per the original Ford GT40 spec and my overheating issue completely went away.
Cheers
Roger
 
Rodger
I was looking into higher rated fans. They draw a some high amperage would require the use of relays and direct power from the battery. Do you know the cfm of the orig vs the replacement

Lloyd
 
what do you guys think of putting two pusher fans in front of the radiator and use them for when the temp starts to rise. put them on a manual switch. I'm saying use them in conjunction with the two pulling fans on the backside of the radiator. two pushers and two pullers.

LLoyd
 
Hi Lloyd,
Check Kenlowe Engine Cooling Fans. You should consider the 24amp versions - 48amps in total. Yes they will need relays and suitable wiring and fuses to carry this current. They have a low and high power rating and Kenlowe advise just the high power when you need it either manual or auto via a thermo switch or both which is what I have. I'll check the model number for the fans I have fitted. Cheers Roger
 
Hi Lloyd,
I should have added that the fans will pull or push. I'd recommend pull from behind.
Cheers
Roger
 
As a Pantera guy, I'm an authority on overheating and how to combat it. :rolleyes:

You don't mention if your overheating problems are constant, or only in specific states. For instance, if your car runs fine when going down the road at 50+ mph but overheats in traffic, then you don't have a radiator problem. You MIGHT have a fan problem, but quad fans are almost assuredly unnecessary.

Not having a thermostat is problematic. Race cars often do away with a thermostat and run a restrictor plate in its place, a thing designed to restrict the flow of water to ensure it moves at a certain pace, keeping it in the radiator long enough for the radiator to do its job. If you have no thermostat at all, the potential exists for the water to race right through the radiator and back into the engine without actually cooling off much.

Air in the system is also a highly likely culprit. In the most extreme case, an air pocket can form in the water pump, leading to very low or no flow of water at all--very bad. So a thorough bleeding of the system would be the first (and easiest) step.

Don't overlook an obvious potential problem--fans hooked up backwards. More than one Pantera has run fine going down the road, and ran okay when stationary, but overheated at low speeds--this caused by hooking up the wires on the fans backwards so that they spin the wrong direction and are fighting the natural flow of air.

Try all those things and report back and let us know what turns up?
 

Ian Anderson

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Hi Lloyd

You mention you do mot use the standard flow and return circuit through the heater matrix.

But do you still have a heater plumbed in between the flow and return of the radiator up front?

Is this an open flow circuit? If so try stopping the flow with something like mole grips on a hose in the circuit. That way you force all the water to flow through the radiator and hence get maximum cooling effect.

Ian
 
No heater i removed it have a/c but no heat blocked off it tapped off the two lines going to and from the radiator
fans running correct direction
only overheats i'm talking 200-210 when in traffic, a/c on and temp outside above 90 degrees
I'm suspect of an air bubble, I purchase one of the vacuum fill systems have not tried it yet
the two fans that are on there i believe to be 800 cfm each no shroud
Does a shroud make that much difference?
fans are oriented to the back side so the draw the air though the radiator
I was thinking of just putting two high volume 2 speed fans
180 degree thermostat
thanks for the responses
LLoyd
 

Randy V

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How many psi Pressure cap do you have? Are you using antifreeze in the system?
200-210 would only be over heating with no pressure cap and pure water in the system..
 
Mr Fords diagram, note this is for the FE 427. They probably did not spend much time at cars and coffee though, I would highly recomend fitting additional bleed lines (1/8 or 3/16) running from the rear corners of intake manifold to the header tank that act as a continous bleed system while driving and prevent air locking from getting out of hand. While Mike Drews vacuum tool helps at initial fill its a fact of life that engines develop air bubbles in the system from nucleate boiling at localised hot spots while in use and high power levels can cause heads to lift and allow cyl pressure to get to water jackets.
 

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50/50 antifreeze 15 lb cap
Not puking out overflow.
I plan on draining fluid and refill with vacuum fill system
Have to figure out where to drill intake. 8 stack fuel injection intake. I really dont want to remove to see the water jacket.

I think the high cfm fans will be my next project for this winter. More air can't hurt
Lloyd
 
Hi Lloyd,
The Kenlowe fans you need are 12EHPB/S12V. They are rated at 3342 cubic metres per hour. My maths tells me that's 1967cfm per fan. As I mentioned they draw 24A each. The original fans that I replaced were 7A. One of the guys that specified the original Kenlowe fans at the Ford Advanced Vehicle factory in Slough, UK still works for Kenlowe so you are in safe hands!
I too looked at upping the pressure from the current 13psi but I reckoned that if it's that marginal then I needed to get the fundamentals right and with the help of these fans I'm now happy. The car coped very well with some high ambients in major crawling traffic at this year's Le Mans Classic.
Cheers Roger
 
Thanks Roger do you have a price on the fans. Is that a UK company
i'm sure they would ship across the pond
LLoyd
 

Randy V

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If you do upgrade fans, it would be a good idea to make sure that the wiring and relay(s) are rated for the additional current requirements...
SPAL makes some nice fans and can be purchased through American suppliers like Jegs and Summit Racing..
Shrouds will always increase fan efficiency also..
 
Randy
My plan is to use existing wire to the fan to control a 50 amp relay that is direct connect to the battery for power.

I'm hoping it will pull enough air to move the car (just kidding)
thanks for the brand in us
LLoyd
 
Hi Lloyd,
Yes they are a UK company based just west of London, in fact near Slough. Their details are on their website Kenlowe Engine Cooling Fans. They normally sell retail only through their dealers. So best to enquire what their arrangements are for buyers in the USA. The fans come with a wiring diagram. These fans should not be confused with the low cfm, lightweight stuff that's regularly marketed. Ours cars need solid quality parts!
I'm an ex-career Ford and Mountune guy so was able to talk direct with them, maybe you can do the same but they should have a decent dealer in the USA.
Cheers Roger
 
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