[Healeys] 100 water pumps

[Michael Salter]

Yes Bob, there is something wrong with our assumptions regarding the
cooling system not being "large" enough.
My wifes Maxima is around 300 HP and the radiator has less area than the
100. Certainly it has a couple of very effective electric fans but they
really don't cut in very often unless you have the AC on.
I'm suspicious of the rate of circulation but I've talked to Larry Varley
about this subject and he indicated that increasing the size of the water
pump annular orifice didn't make much difference when he tried it.

M

M

On Sat, Mar 6, 2021 at 11:42 AM Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net> wrote:

> I sold my late father's 1955 Thunderbird to my BFF. These cars have a very
> similar problem to Healeys overheating, esp. at idle. When Ford stuffed the
> 292ci Y-Block into the T-Bird, they found the engine was (essentially) too
> short for the long-hooded car, so they 'engineered'--I use the term
> loosely--a cast iron spacer to move the fan closer to the radiator. The
> spacer had the added 'benefit' of severely limiting coolant flow through
> the pump and radiator; there are some aftermarket fixes and my friend,
> after doing the usual radiator re-core, better fan, etc. installed both a
> better pump (larger vanes) and a re-engineered spacer. Attached pic is not
> of the spacer he used--I can't find the link to it--but it shows the
> general idea (Ford basically put a 'dam' in the cooling system to block
> flow, and the improved spacers mostly remove it). It appears this approach
> has improved cooling, though the engine probably still gets warm if it has
> to sit too long at idle. Link is to one of the improved pumps:
>
>
> https://www.classictbird.com/Water-Pump-Modified-for-Higher-Output-1-Per-car/productinfo/8501HO/
>
> Anyways, after doing all the usual stuff to increase cooling, esp. on my
> BJ8, I've wondered if a similar approach would work on Healeys. Their pumps
> have very small vanes, and the cavity in which the vanes operate seems
> pretty small for such a large lump of cast iron (I'm guessing an uprated
> radiator core won't help much if the coolant flow is still hampered; at
> least, that's what I've found). This is probably not an option as, of
> course, our engines don't have a similar spacer to be improved upon, and it
> would be a major task to increase both the cavity's size and the pump (but
> I can dream).
>
> ps. The overheating issue with Healeys is usually attributed to too big of
> an engine in too small of an engine compartment, and too little airflow.
> But, the engine bay in an old T-Bird is huge by comparison--and the engine
> not terribly larger in displacement--and still suffers the same problem.
>
> Bob
>
> On 3/6/2021 5:57 AM, Michael Salter via Healeys wrote:
>
> After a couple of premature failures of repro 100 water pumps I decided to
> look into rebuilding them with a modern seal and sealed bearings.
> I have some concerns about the small size of the annulus through which all
> the coolant must pass in the original design so I have managed to install a
> considerably smaller seal as in the pics attached.
> After bench testing one of the prototypes is now fitted to my car awaiting
> a test drive as soon as the snow is gone.
>
> On Fri., Mar. 5, 2021, 11:13 p.m. S and T Miller via Healeys, <
> healeys at autox.team.net> wrote:
>
>> What's the skinny on the repo 100 water pumps? Hear they leak and need
>> broken in dry. Uprated pump any good? Moss states the brass tap can be
>> screwed into the uprated pump, but from the pictures it actually looks like
>> the standard has threads and not the uprated. Can anyone confirm? Rebuild
>> original?Thoughts/ advice welcomed?
>> TY, Shawn
>>
>> The Millers
>>
>> "Always drive them, but remember each drive in an antique car is a test
>> drive."
>>
>>
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