Water pump impeller styles?

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Mopar92

Mopar92

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Helping a good neighbor put a new water pump on his 81 D-150 360 truck. He grabbed the water pump at O’Reilly. The impeller is a caged looking impeller. As in a very thin squirrel cage fan type impeller. I have never seen this on any Mopar water pump. I have only seen the bladed style pumps. Is this the new thing?
 
Correction. He got it at RockAuto. Before I install this thing I want to get a little info on this. Doesn’t seem correct for this LA360.

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Rock auto list it as a gates high performance version. That's the only difference I see according to the pictures
 
He said he ordered the “ high performance “ version. I’ll stick it on there, I’m just not used to seeing this style. Had me Leary.
 
Depending on component manufacturer I've seen different versions of impellers used. 65'
 
That style with the plate is suppose to prevent cavitation, the plate keeps the water on the blades preventing cavitation and keeps the water flowing.
 
Same pump they use for A/C cars. You're fine. Don't over think this. This style has worked for the last 50 yrs. Unless you have a better idea?
 
For a high rpm motor would running an underdrive pulley setup and this pump be a good strategy?
 
I was thinking of my 408 W2 Solid roller motor... I am hoping the high volume pump will cool it at low rpms in town and the underdrive pulleys will prevent high rpm issues... Best of both worlds kinda.
 
mbaird said:
I was thinking of my 408 W2 Solid roller motor... I am hoping the high volume pump will cool it at low rpms in town and the underdrive pulleys will prevent high rpm issues... Best of both worlds kinda.
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That worked for me, with a hi-attack angle, 7-blade fan, on a Ford thermostatic clutch.The first time I heard that clutch on an early 2000s pick-up, I went straight to the local Ford dealer and bought me one. It wasn't cheap, but its like 15/16 years old now. It allowed me to run an absolutely rock-solid minimum water temperature of 205 at the stat house.
 
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I have a few 7 blade fans but no Fjord clutches... What makes them different?
What application?
 
mbaird said:
I have a few 7 blade fans but no Fjord clutches... What makes them different?
What application?
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Well for starters it lasted a wholtsa years
But if you get a chance to see/hear one in action, it's fliping amazing. The Ford has a huge fan on it, and when it comes on line, it's like a hurricane under that hood. I just figured with my lessor fan, that clutch would last forever. And so far it's done good.
I can't talk about Mopar clutches, except to say that MINE never acted like this, seeming to run way to long after the start up, and a good percentage of mine, either gave up or leaked. Your experience may vary.
I just want to add, that if you can get your cooling system to run a steady temp with very little variance, then you can put an on-the-ragged-edge tune in it, and not worry about detonation when the temp goes up........cuz it never goes up! And so you can explore the edge of max cylinder pressure. And/or you can tune for a faster-burning gas.......like 87E10, which every body affectionately calls skunk pee.

I know, I know, another 5 or 10 psi of cylinder pressure,most street guys won't chase. To bad for them. I run over 180psi with aluminum heads, and others claim over 200psi . In a 360 with a typical street cam, this makes BB-type, low-rpm, torque.........which in a stick car, is dynomite!
I bet a guy could put al.heads on a street-teener and jack the pressure to around 200, run a small cam, and make better low-rpm torque than a hot iron-headed 360, and a bonus would be a nice fat juicy midrange,that's what I think.
Now if you wanna run an electric-fan set-up, with a 10* or more hi-low setting, go ahead...........lol, but I'd be willing to bet there is more power-loss in the temp-swing than in my system.
 
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oldskool979 said:
i think that is also an 8 blade as opposed to the standard 6 blade.
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Because I didn't know which water pump my car had, I ordered a 6-vane and an 8-vane water pump from A1-Cardone. The photo shows that A1-Cardone puts the 8-vane into both the 6-vane and 8-vane box (notice the 2 different part numbers). Both water pumps were returned. Beware!

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DartGTDan said:
Because I didn't know which water pump my car had, I ordered a 6-vane and an 8-vane water pump from A1-Cardone. The photo shows that A1-Cardone puts the 8-vane into both the 6-vane and 8-vane box (notice the 2 different part numbers). Both water pumps were returned. Beware!

View attachment 1715131546
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Not surprised. The only question is whether that was on purpse to save $$ by reducing inventory or an oops. Cardone 'Select' - that must mean they actually selected the ones that looked OK before boxing 'em.

About 15 years ago, my local parts store picked up a pump for me, when I took it out of the box, the inlet had been machined flat. It must have been for the special hoses that were D shaped instead of round. LOL. We opened the next one on the counter and the impeller had been put on so far, it scrape the casting. Those were both A1 Cardone products and not the only times that I've been unimpressed with their QC. (Not that they are unique in this).

Anyway, to the question about number of blades. The A/C equiped cars generally got impellers with less blades. On the early (driver side inlet) LA engines, diameters were different too. For the '70 up, probably the same. You can check in a shop manual - mine stop at '69.
 
Let's throw coolant type into this equation. What liquid cools & transfers heat the best?
 
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