switching to aluminum high flow waterpump, questions...

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Challngd73

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Ok I have a 66 273 motor with the original iron water pump, that needs to be replaced. I purchased a flowkooler aluminum water pump. I want to make sure know everything that needs to be changed... I already have an aluminum radiator with passenger side outlet, and a timing cover off my 1970 340 with the correct timing tab for a passenger side outlet water pump. So I need to get a new alternator bracket and power steering bracket? what pulleys would i need? I am using a pusher electric fan. I have an alternator bracket in mind, but no idea where to get the right power steering bracket. Would a power steering bracket out of a 1970 small block car work? Any help is appreciated, and yes i know going with the factory cast iron water pump would be easier, but I am switching over to the 1970 340 next year so I didnt want to waste money on a part i can swap over. car is a 66 cuda. thanks in advance.
 
I bought the bracket set from CVF Racing when I made the swap , however it only works with a specific Saginaw PS pump and it had a slight belt rub from the PS belt on the water pump pulley which I just fixed after 3 years by buying their billet pulleys for the crank and water pump -check their site for more info .
Bottom line when I made the swap none of the pulleys from my 69 319 would line up with the 70 up water pump you are switching to .
 
cannucky said:
I bought the bracket set from CVF Racing when I made the swap , however it only works with a specific Saginaw PS pump and it had a slight belt rub from the PS belt on the water pump pulley which I just fixed after 3 years by buying their billet pulleys for the crank and water pump -check their site for more info .
Bottom line when I made the swap none of the pulleys from my 69 319 would line up with the 70 up water pump you are switching to .
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Well thanks for responding. That is very good info. So you did use your pulleys initially?
 
I did this on my 65 273. My motivation was because the alum w.p. was 1/2 the cost and seemed better. I suspect my new radiator was intended for a slant (1.5" bottom tube). That was at the Autozone desk. I am wiser now (ebay troll). Roll up your sleeves.

The extra 1" thickness makes me unable to use a clutch/fan, so got a thin Summit nylon fan w/ no spacer. Your TRW p.s. pump was never used w/ the alum w.p., so no brackets exist. I got a later Federal p.s. pump (looks similar) and new brackets from maybe Bouichillon Performance (BPE). It sits lower and barely clears the K-frame. Might have been better to get a Saginaw pump (more efficient and common). You will have to change to later p.s. hoses since Federal (and Sag?) pumps have an O-ring outlet (not inverted flare of TRW) and a smaller return tube. I also changed both fittings on my p.s. gear to match (or make custom hoses).

I had to play with pulleys. My car has the original crank damper, but I cut a new slot to match the new timing tab. A later damper might make crank pulleys easier (thicker?), but don't get one for a cast crank (I think). I have the original 2 V metal crank pulley with a 3rd V alum pulley inside for the after-market AC (had beastly Tecumseh compressor). As I recall, my alternator runs alone off the middle V and p.s. and w.p. run off the 3rd "AC" V. The inner V looks so buried w/ the alum w.p. that probably unusable. When I add AC, I will likely run it off the alternator belt. The w.p. pulley is a very short alum one (ebay), not nearly as deep as the original steel one. I posted photos some time back of my setup. I recall others routed belts the same. Can't tell you belt PN's, but just download a Gates catalog. V-belts come in 3 widths and every 2" increment in circumference, so easy to pick the PN you need.
 
No the older pulleys will not line up unless you have extra v grooves to play around with and even then they seem to be a little off , as Bill mentioned the pump sticks out further so I bought a post 1970 360 crank pulley and water pump pulley from another member here and ran them with some after market billet brackets I got from CVF Racing , I ran these for the last 2.5 years but there was always a slight rub on the water pump pulley which was bad enough that I actually chamfered the edge of the belt to lesson it , I now have the billet crank pulley and the billet water pump pulley from CVF as well and the rub it gone , mixing and matching is a nightmare so make friends with someone at your local parts store because every time you try to change something the belt sizes will change as well , I'm lucky DusterGlen works at my local parts store so I can run back and forth with an open invoice until we get the right one for the car -Thanks Glen buddy .
 
I bought a flowkooler for my 318 a few years ago. It did give me more flow but didn't seem to help with keeping the car any cooler. The down-side is that there's so much flow that it eats away at the stock timing chain cover behind the water pump and actually eats through it causing a leak in a very short time. I'd stick with a standard pump and fix the radiator instead.
 
Challngd73 said:
so expensive, and challenging? sounds fun haha. thanks for the info guys
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well just got done doing the final belt swap and the grand total for 2 new belts after 1 returned unused old belt was 10 bucks , not too expensive -thanks again DusterGlen
 
cudajim said:
I bought a flowkooler for my 318 a few years ago. It did give me more flow but didn't seem to help with keeping the car any cooler. The down-side is that there's so much flow that it eats away at the stock timing chain cover behind the water pump and actually eats through it causing a leak in a very short time. I'd stick with a standard pump and fix the radiator instead.
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My radiator is a brand new 4 core aluminum unit. My timing chain cover is off my 340.
 
Just bought a 273 water pump. going to keep the flowkooler for my 340 build and change all the pulleys and brackets when I switch motors.
 
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