I just ordered a Stewart Stage 2 aluminum water pump...I'm curious as to what you people who have one have seen in temperature drop.

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'89 Formula 383 TPI

 

Hey how much did that cost ya? I'm thinking of using one of those myself...they really seem to know their shiznit.

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"Life is pain! Anyone who says differently is selling something."

 

My temperature always runs right around the thermostat temperature, only barely hotter.. so I don't see how a better waterpump would keep it any cooler.. This is on a stock system, by the way. I don't know, maybe I got lucky.

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89 iroc-z 305 tbi
k&n filtercharger, open element air filter. nuffin' else

 

The stage 2 is $161.07 total w/shipping. I don't have a stock system at all. I'm trying to get this car to run around 160-180 consistantly. It will creep up to 200-210 on really hot days. These pumps suppposivly can lower temps by 60 degrees....I'm hoping for 20.

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'89 Formula 383 TPI

 

60 degree drop if your stock pump was toast. If you do go with a 'better' pump, make sure you have a high flow thermostat to take advantage of the added flow. However, third-gens have an air-flow problem. I would concentrate on getting more air through the radiator, or a bigger radiator. I run a 180 thermostat. On cold days it runs 175, on hot days it runs 185--in town or on the highway.


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350 with stealth intake, holley carb, 470 lift cam. 700r4 with .5 boost valve, vette servo, tci lock-up kit, B&M megashifter. Richmond 3.73 gears, powertrax locker, timkim bearings, synthetic lube. Custom 3 inch single into 2 2.5 pipes. 1 1/2 drop springs, 1 5/16 solid front sway bar, 1 inch rear bar, custom subframe connectors, custom LCA relocation brackets. Kobel ground FX, current red metallic paint. Lots of other stuff...
82camaro

 

I have the stage 2 pump and it runs fine wiht the 160 thermo. In traffic or just sitting the temp never goes over 210. That's in 90+ degree weather, single fan, and stock radiator. I should probably get a dual fan setup or a new radiator but I'm strapped for cash right now. Anybody want to lend me a couple hundred .

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, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website

 

Couple Hundred, They are 28$ Last time I checked at Pickn Pull!

( Why are ppl so wary of GM parts ? )

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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver 15.26 @ 87.0
Reader's ride -> My Ride

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

yea.. 60 degree's cooler if your previously using a handpump to get water through the engine.. i hate ad's.. course some of them are true, and most of the time i dont konw what im talking about but yea, at least try a cheapy from the junk yard before you spend your life savings on a griffin or be cool model. I've read what a few people have to say about them, and from their experience the aftermarket radiators arent worth the .. 400+ bucks over the GM from yards. just my 2c

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• 83 Z28-- not a pretty site to look at, 200k miles and im sure it was treated like a rental car every day of its sad life(before i got it).. sold, thank the lord
• 74 Z28-- 383/400, green on black. pretty clean. FOR SALE!!!

 

With my brand new radiator, stock dual fans wired on all the time, and a brand new stock replacement water pump my car rarely ran under 190-200 degrees even on cold nights, average running temp sitting right at 220. It often creeped on up to over 230ish which I don't like regardless of where the car was supposed to run stock.

I upgraded to a Stewart stage 1 pump (like $69 or something) and a "high flow" 160* stat from them as well. (had a 160 in there though). That did the trick. This Stewart pump kicks the **** outta the stocker pumps I've tried. I haven't gotten over 220 degrees now, and that was on a 90 degree day sitting in the biggest traffic jam I've ever seen where I literally didn't move an inch for 30 minutes. It runs right where the stat opens up at (170ish judging by the guage) under any kind of normal conditions, even in what most would call heavy traffic (which I call light here in Atlanta, lol...). I won't be running any other water pumps in any of my cars ever again. The stock pump would literally let the car start overheating the second I started to sit still at a stoplight. That's freaking ridiculous. I haven't had to even worry about temp since the Stewart pump. I can only imagine that the Stage 2 will work even better...

So average temp drop in run of mill normal driving was probably 30-40 degrees or so at least, and overheating for the car is now 210-220, never goes over it and I have to park the car for 30 minutes just to hit that... Very happy. Probably a nice Spal fan setup would allow it to never get over what I set them to come on at, that's the next cooling modification so I can go park in the desert and stay nice and cool...

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Ray87Z
-Vortec headed 350.
86 IROC w/ a cammed 305 TPI.
Formerly Ray86IROC.
www.inter-scape.com/Ray


[This message has been edited by Ray87Z (edited June 14, 2001).]

 

The water pump alone will not lower your water temperature unless your old pump was broke.

 

I might have agreed with you before I got a good pump... The two previous pumps I had on this engine both ran hotter than I wanted. You never know with the quality of cheap stock replacement pumps, but somehow I doubt they were both "broke" as soon as I got them. The Stewart pump was worth it and did yield cooler temps whether it was supposed to or not...

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Ray87Z
-Vortec headed 350.
86 IROC w/ a cammed 305 TPI.
Formerly Ray86IROC.
www.inter-scape.com/Ray

 

Sorry, I'd say radiator before a properly operating stock pump. It's not the pumps fault your overheating if the hot water is flowing right throught the rad and right back in the motor. I do agree, for the money a stewart pump is a good pump. But, it's not going to fix your problem if you have 3" of stuff laying in the bottom of your block, your rad's all caked up with sh:t and your thermo is on the blink.

Plus better coolant flow usually = hp loss. I say usually, not always if the impeller is better designed like the stewarts.

It's kinda like I have 5 psi of oil pressure when my bearings are shot and the fix is a bigger oil pump. Cummon....

Check the rad, make sure the bottom hose isn't being 'sucked' shut (common), make sure your lower air deflector is there, make sure your running a 50/50 mix of anti/water or just water with corosion inhibitors {NO! 100% antifreeze/coolant isn't going to make you run cooler?!?!, you will overheat!} replace the thermo (a what... $5 part) before you condemn the wp.



[This message has been edited by JoelOl75 (edited June 15, 2001).]

 

Good advice from Joel. A good quality water pump is just that, a good quality water pump. It's not a magic bullet to end all perceived cooling problems.

I can't say for sure how much my Stewart "lowered" my engine temp, becasue it was fine to begin with. It definitely creates more flow through the rad than the old stock-type one did. If you get one, definitely replace the thermostat with a high-flow one to take advantage of the pump's greater capacity, and put a good rad cap on it.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

Anybody else have expierence with Stewart pumps?

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'89 Formula 383 TPI

 

I doubt if I'd risk my $3000+ motor on a cheap radiator from the junk yard. It only takes a few moments of not paying attention to an inaccurate stock temperature gage (or GM spelling "gauge") to over heat the motor and at best toast a head gasket. But back to the orignial question. Does a Stewart or other aftermarket aluminum pump really help. I understand the lighter weight aluminum and supposedly they have a higher flow rate, which will move more water past the radiator at a faster rate, thus cooling the water faster.
My ZZ4 was running a little warm down in Key West the other day, about 210 deg on the gage. So I swapped the 180 for a 160 ( my fan switch is modified and both fans come on at the same time). Car is running cooler and I just got the a/c working again. 90 deg day on the freeway, 173 deg on the scanner and 193 on the scanner in traffic. She actually runs pretty cool with the a/c on due to the fans running all the time.

I am thinking of getting the Stewart and holding it until my stock pump starts to weep outta the hole.



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Rob P
89RSconvtZZ4TPI
Edelbrock Hi-Flow Intake
SLP Dual Cold Air Intake
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