Moparts

Flow Kooler 1679 pump

Posted By: JS23U

Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/15/10 09:41 AM

Hi,
I installed a Flow Kooler 1679 pump in the original iron water pump housing on my 440. While the blades look quite modern I wondered about the distance between the blade tips to the machined surface in the iron housing. The instructions tell you to add more gaskets to have clearance but I'd need minus gaskets. The distance is about 5mm (more than 3/16") even without a gasket. I learned that this gap is very important for the performance of a water pump, with optimum being under 1mm (a little more than 1/32"). Has anyone made this experience with a Flow Kooler pump? Did they do this because otherwise flow would be too much? Haven't driven the car yet...

Thanks
Jens
Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/15/10 01:57 PM

Quote:

I learned that this gap is very important for the performance of a water pump, with optimum being under 1mm (a little more than 1/32"). Has anyone made this experience with a Flow Kooler pump? Did they do this because otherwise flow would be too much? Haven't driven the car yet.

yes the gap is very important. no exp w flow koolers. imo no such thing as too much flow as if one block of water goes thru faster and is not cooled as much that lets the next block of water enter faster and it gets cooled quicker and it all reaches an equilibrium and Steward the Nascar water pump people agree w me . Some ideas, Can you pull the impeller out a bit w a gear puller and or mill the front face of the housing so it sets the pump vanes deeper in there keeping in mind that this (milling) will require pulley alignment changes for all 3 to line up w you're done. EDIT Steward is spelled stewart
Posted By: JS23U

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/15/10 02:10 PM

I asked a guy here in Germany who says he had the same "problem" but the pump still worked nicely and solved his thermal problems. So I installed my pump yesterday. Haven't driven it yet, though.
There are some possibilities. First the water pump housing can be milled a bit. Second the water pump flange can be milled a bit, although it will get thin, you can win just a bit here as it might break while installing the screws. Pulling the impeller a bit off the shaft seems not possible as you will for sure bend it.

I wonder why the pump is manufactured like this. It is made for Mopar Big Block and the pump housings all should look like this. So everyone installing a FK pump should have this problem. But I haven't read of this problem before. Do I hear the gras growing?
Did they do it because more flow would have meant cavitation? Or did they goof by coincidence? Or did I get a bad part?

Here is a pic of the pump with a scale (in mm...). Depth of the stock iron pump housing is 30mm. Measurement of the pump and its blades is a tad under 25mm.

Jens

Attached picture 5926792-3-Wapu-FlowKooler.JPG
Posted By: JS23U

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/15/10 02:11 PM

Here is this measurement taken from the aftermarket pump that was installed. 30mm high, so the thickness of the installed gasket will be the gap. Blades are quite small.
Unknown manufacturer.

Attached picture 5926799-1-Wapu-unbekannt.JPG
Posted By: JS23U

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/15/10 02:13 PM

Last but not least a stock Chryslerpump. 28.5mm and slightly bigger blades than the second pump.

Attached picture 5926801-2-WaPu-ori.JPG
Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/15/10 02:35 PM

yeah that's a night and day difference . No way that's acceptable. I think I'd email FlowKooler and ask their techs what they have to say on it.
Posted By: RylisPro

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/15/10 03:48 PM

I have the same Flow Kooler 1679 pump here with a Mancini alum housing

yes, while there is a big gap, there is also that impeller disc attached to the vanes
if you look at the Milodon 16260 pump

and Edelbrock 8814 pump

they have similar designs and do not look as deep
I am no expert for sure, but I wouldn't be worried
also I am going to run Evans coolant
Posted By: gtx69

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/15/10 08:24 PM

Here's my new pump.

Attached picture 5927376-HPIM0160.JPG
Posted By: RylisPro

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/15/10 11:12 PM

what happened to the flow kooler pump?
Posted By: JS23U

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/16/10 05:59 AM

@gtx69:
Mine looks like the one on the right.
Can anyone please measure the depth/height of the pump blades like on my photos?
Also I'd like to know if this depth is different for the pump housings. As I said I use the stock Mopar housing. Its depth measured at the biggest diameter is 30mm.

@Rylis: how deep is your Mancini housing/how big is the gap with the Mancini/Flow Kooler combo?

Yesterday I wrote to FKs tech line. No answer yet.

Thanks
Jens
Posted By: gtx69

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/16/10 01:13 PM

The one on the right i brought from mancini about 5 years ago.I can't measure mine i tossed it.Does your's have a weep hole in it?
Posted By: RylisPro

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/16/10 04:48 PM

Quote:

@Rylis: how deep is your Mancini housing/how big is the gap with the Mancini/Flow Kooler combo?



I can't measure exactly from the blade tips to the floor of the machined housing since it is very hard to see inside with the pump but
I can tell you it's a big gap at least 3/16" inch (4.76 mm) The blades of the Flow Kooler go down to about 1/2" inch (12.7 mm)
to about where the blue line is

mine has a weep hole

apparently the pump housings are made by GMB and that is why there is some marks shaved off the housing and
I have read the Flow Kooler pumps are made by GMB

apparently GMB also sells a pump with an impeller for 1/3 the price of the Flow Kooler!
I'm not sure if the vanes are different but if they are the same I'm gonna be pissed!
It looks like the Milodon pump housing is the same also and I want to get one of those to compare for myself

gtx69:
please let us know what was wrong with your pump, why you had to replace it? bad bearing?
I was going to PM you but your box is full

thanks
Posted By: JS23U

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/16/10 06:16 PM

Can't remember if it has a weep hole but I'd think so. From my head my FK pump looks exactly the same as the one from Rylis. Even has the same scratch marks as on the third pic.
No answer yet from Flow Kooler.

At least I feel that I don't have a bad example of the pump. A guy here in Germany told me about the same big gap und now you tell me the same.

Jens
Posted By: gtx69

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 04/16/10 07:49 PM

Pump went bad also it didn't have a weep hole in it.

Attached picture 5929371-HPIM0162.JPG
Posted By: JS23U

Re: Flow Kooler 1679 pump - 07/17/10 07:27 PM

Update:
I installed and tested the Flow Kooler pump. No pinging anymore, works fine. So although the gap is huge the pump seems to cope with all the heat. Great product so far!

Jens
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