Why use a passenger side water pump housing?

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Minnesota Muscle

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Good morning,

As I assemble my plan for a strip 440 in my '67 Barracuda, I was reading up on the vast array of water pump housings and have seen a lot of mention of the passenger side lower radiator hose hook up. Is this for clearance issues? Radiator selection?

Seems like there has been a lot of chatter regarding heating issues with the passenger side hook up, but that might have been because of the 440source casting issues.

Anyway, just confused why people are running it.

Thanks.
 
The passenger side water pump outlet will match the radiator lower hose location for those years...

70 and later switched sides...
 
Welcome to FABO...
Welcome to FABO.gif
 
I'm happy with my 512ci stroker with right hand lower hose but timing is difficult with shroud unless you fab a left side tab.
 
Good morning,

As I assemble my plan for a strip 440 in my '67 Barracuda, I was reading up on the vast array of water pump housings and have seen a lot of mention of the passenger side lower radiator hose hook up. Is this for clearance issues? Radiator selection?

Seems like there has been a lot of chatter regarding heating issues with the passenger side hook up, but that might have been because of the 440source casting issues.

Anyway, just confused why people are running it.

Thanks.
Timing makes on the passenger side can be a ***** to read.
If you switch to the drivers side you will need to match the radiator outlet to the water pump inlet and the harmonic balancer as the timing marks will change. Watch out for changes to brackets and belt to pulley alignment.
 
At one time I had a BB in 2 different cars. I have a driver side on one and passenger side on the other. The reasoning I put a passenger side on the one car is I had a SB in the car and it had a good alum radiator with a passenger side outlet on the bottom. Instead of buying a new radiator, I just used a passenger side housing for the BB.
 
If the question is there a cooling efficiency difference between the location of the lower hose, might need an engineer to answer that.

Personal experience one might need to outline all the other changes that were made along with changing the housing from one side to the other.

Does the coolant move through one setup better than the other?


Alan
 
the 440RB engine mounted on my 1970 Dart comes from a 1975 Imperial with a water pump on the passenger side. I bought a radiator with an outlet also on the passenger side. it works very well.
 
Chrysler to manufacture water pump housings, depending on the model and year of manufacture, with the most common left side outlet for the 440 engine and also right outlet. if the whole thing is assembled correctly, i don't think i have any difference in eficiency.
 
Mopar did some wacky stuff back in the day . There isn't any logical reason for one side or another . electric water pump makes more sense as is all modern cooling systems . but to answer your question : It doesn't matter , only where your rad hose inlet is . BTW, I have a pass side iron setup if you need it .
 
I put a passenger side water pump housing inlet on my 400 going in my 64 Valiant because the radiator outlet is on the passenger side. It even looks like the stock slant six bottom hose will fit the big block. The timing marks are very easy to overcome. Just paint a mark on the water pump housing inlet in lone with the zero mark on the timing tab. Now you have a reference that's easily seen.
 
I did it because I had a small block radiator. It made life that much easier. Switched to a 440 source aluminum housing and pump. Zero over heating issues. That “Bad Batch” is long gone. And it wasn’t that bad. A quick fix with a die grinder or even a dremel.

Good morning,

As I assemble my plan for a strip 440 in my '67 Barracuda, I was reading up on the vast array of water pump housings and have seen a lot of mention of the passenger side lower radiator hose hook up. Is this for clearance issues? Radiator selection?

Seems like there has been a lot of chatter regarding heating issues with the passenger side hook up, but that might have been because of the 440source casting issues.

Anyway, just confused why people are running it.

Thanks.
 
Thanks guys. I appreciate the info. And thank you for the welcome. Will defiantly go aluminum housing on this engine, probably a CVR with electric pump.
 
Timing makes on the passenger side can be a ***** to read.
If you switch to the drivers side you will need to match the radiator outlet to the water pump inlet and the harmonic balancer as the timing marks will change. Watch out for changes to brackets and belt to pulley alignment.
I Cannot stress enough the pain in the *** it is to time a passenger side input. Damn near put the piston stop in and made a pointer 180* out. Not to mention the 440 source pass side inlet had a heater hose input that must have been made on bring your blind daughter to work day. There was a post earlier from @brian6pac with a cross rad hose. I would use that with a driver side housing any day before I did pass side again. Fwiw this is on 400 Dakota with a rad I had recored,Tanks expanded, copper and brass high efficiency.
 
When I built my first 440, I used a 1978 block and didn't even know that they used lefts and rights! I just used what I had.
I planned on using the radiator my 318 car came with so naturally, it just seemed right. Everything lined up as if I planned it.
Last year I switched a few things around to add A/C. This necessitated a change to the LH outlet and a new radiator.
 
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