They do make the some pump in standard rotation, it was use on the late 80s Crown Vic 5.0s. But it sound like everything is corrrect with your setup. Still wouldn't hurt pulling the top hose of to check the water flow from the engine. I used to work at a parts store and I have seen NEW water pumps go bad instantly. I have seen the weld that holds the impeller to the shaft brake. You might be on to something with the gauge though. It should take some time for the water to heat up. The gauge shouldn't be moving as fast as the oil pressure gauge.
Should the water ever flow in the reverse direction. I believe our cars should have the water flow from the bottom into the water pump thru the motor and out the thermostat. Will there ever be a case where the water should flow the other direction? I was told that it looks like my water is flowing backwards and I should reverse my thermostat for it to work properly. Summit racing tech said hogwash. Dont ever take your car to that mechanic again.
you're right! from the bottom to the engine and then to the top of radiator. if your water is flowing in reverse sucking from the top pushing down that means your water pump is in reverse and that is wrong, this mechanic don't know what he's saying! reversing the thermostat?? is he out of his mind?
Thanks for the input. I later thought that if the coolet was indeed reversed, (pushing up into the radiator first) then watching the coolant flow before the thermostat opens with the radiator cap off would be impossible. Unless you count flow all over the place. Seeing that I can do that, the water pump must be flowing correctly.
Did you have the used radiator checked out for blockages? I recently went through a similar situation. I had my stock Mav radiator recored and gone through about 6 years ago, put about 5 thousand miles on it and then it sat for around 3 years while I was away at school. I came back and started driving again and had cooling problems. Letting it idle and warm up and sit running was fine. Driving it would be ok for a while and then it started getting hotter and hotter. It would eventually get towards overheating. I replaced my thermostat, flushed the system and tried again. It still did the same. I finally took out my radiator and had it flushed out at a radiator shop with their high pressure, high velocity water gun and it blew quite a few chunks of stuff out of the cores. I have no idea what the stuff was or why it accumulated while sitting for a few years in a virtually brand new radiator with clean coolant in it, but everything is fine now and it runs back where it always used to.
I think that is my next stop. If my gauge doesnt turn out to be bad then the rad is going to the shop. I tried running it without the thermostat and there is not change in the situation. While I had some fluid out of the radiator, I started it and while watching the water flow, I noticed that fluid was not pouting out of a chunk of the fins about a third the way down.
Run the engine and before it gets too hot to touch feel the core and see if you feel a cold spot. For your safety may I suggest feeling the front of the radiator if the engine is running.
Alright. gauge isnt bad. I hooked up a mechanical gauge and it still isnt telling me what I want it to. (Go figure) So off to the rad shop I go.
Alright. Its getting better now. I was having some trouble starting the motor after having moved the battery to the trunk so I ran a ground wire all the way up to the motor. Now the motor stays cooler. It still runs 205ish going down the hwy but its much better that 210-230. It held 205 or less for a 45 minute cruise don the hwy. I am still going to have the radiator and cooling system flushed tomorrow. Hopefully that will get me back to where I need to be.
Mine ran hot on the highway(210-220) but could idle for ever at 160 right on the thermostat. I made a restricter plate instead of the thermostat as per recomend of a old timer by me that ran stock car for yrs with a smbf with a 1/2 inch hole in it. It now runs 170 all the time takes a while to get there but no more heating up. I guess the water didn`t stay in the rad long enough to cool it down. This worked for me its just a suggest to try.
Here's some store bought versions that will give some adjustment to the coolant flow. We used these in our circle track engines all the time. http://www.jegs.com/p/Moroso/751807/10002/-1
Which ever size restrictor you choose, it will directly replace your thermostat. Fits in the same grove and uses the same gaskets.
I put the car in a local shop to have the cooling system looked at. This mechanic said he thinks the radiator is flowing backwards as well. I told him no way. If it were flowing backwards all you have to do is remove the rad cap prior to the thermostat opening and water should just flow all over. Well he pulled the upper rad hose to show me and initially upon t-stat opening the water did surge out the upper rad hole but then the water steadily flowed out from the upper hose (motor side). I'm really starting to lose confidence in the local mechanics around here. Also, they have managed to blow 2 MSD boxes in the process and have yet to tell me if they plan to charge me for the installation or not. 85/hr aint gonna be cheap. I told them to just pull the rad and have it cleaned out. I just want my car back.
