Cooling System Thoughts

[Ianashdown57]

The water pump has often been thought of as a potential weak point of the Twin Cam engine. It seems that if left for some period the seal can stick and then tear when it is next turned over.

Is this only a problem if the engine is left without water? Are any of the additives such as Water Wetter improvements for lubricating the seal? How about waterless coolant? I don't need any 'anti-freeze' properties, just the anti-corrosion and lubrication.

I was thinking of fitting one of the Burton water pump conversions, but the car should be driven regularly enough to keep the water system in good order. I'd rather keep the engine as original as possible and think that if the car is driven at least once a week and I use either a waterless coolant or water with water wetter the original system should last longer the me!

Is my thinking flawed?

Thanks,

Ian
SoCal

[oldchieft]

I do wonder what it is about the Twilnk pump.

Since it was new in 1978 the Xflow in my Morgan has had one new pump.

That stood for years at a time, dry, wet and with water or antifreeze.

Jon the Chief

[gjz30075]

I've got the conversion sold by Lotus Cortina Spares from about ten years ago and it looks very stock. The pulley covers the three bolts used to hold the cartridge to the cover. There are times when several months pass before I can get to drive my car and that might be sufficient enough to keep the pump lubed.

Does the Burton pump have exposed fittings (keeping one from looking stock)?

Sorry, not quite the answer you're looking for.

Greg Z

[Robbie693]

The water pump has often been thought of as a potential weak point of the Twin Cam engine. It seems that if left for some period the seal can stick and then tear when it is next turned over.

SoCal

It seems so yes - happened to me this year after a winter of inactivity. I usually run it every so often over winter but for one reason and another didn't last year and the result was a dripping pump after I started using it again. Expensive mistake

This winter I'll be running the engine and/or turning it over with a spanner every couple of weeks at least


Robbie

[rgh0]

The working internals of the Lotus pump are standard Ford. So any shortness or length of life is exactly what the Fords also suffered. The issue is when it fails its a more time consuming rebuild than when a standard Ford pump failed so the replaceable module versions are a benefit. Typically a Ford pump is also replaced with a brand new assembled pump module while a Lotus pump is assembled from the components into the front cover so all the issues of potentially poor assembly and damage or corrosion to the front cover / pump case also arise.

The early style of Ford pump internals tended not to be tolerant of intermittent running as they ran the carbon seal directly on the front of the impellor nose. Corrosion on the cast iron impellor would tear up the seal if the pump was not run regularly to keep the cast iron polished. Most pump kits now have a ceramic washer that fits on the pump impellor and runs on the carbon seal so corrosion is not a real problem and the need to regularly rotate the pump greatly reduced.

Keep the engine full of a proper coolant and replace the coolant every couple of years and dont over tension the drive belt ( check it when hot) and the pump will last a long long time. No specific need for redline water wetter specifically for pump life ( though it does help with cooling) or waterless coolant ( that I don't think achieves much at all except empty your wallet).

cheers
Rohan

[Ianashdown57]

Hi,
My feeling on the waterless coolant is that as it has no water, and therefore no oxygen, there should be no corrosion in the water system.
That would be worth the price to me.
Ian

[billwill]

To my cost I have learned that water alone is not an adequate lubricant for the water pump.

It needs the more slippery anti-freeze and anti-corrosion additives.