Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (February 2008, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:37:10 -0800
Reply-To:     B Monk <wmonk@SNET.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         B Monk <wmonk@SNET.NET>
Subject:      Re: Electric Water Pump
Comments: To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <00d301c872c7$b450c630$6501a8c0@TOSHIBALAP>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I can give you some real figures on how much hp gain you get with an electric waterpump. This is not on a Vanagon ,but on my Mustang. Its all Dyno proven. Remember that drag racing is a game where thousands are spent to shave off 10ths of seconds. Here is the numbers:

RWHP without electric pump 446 with elecrtic pump 452 It brought my high 12's down to low 12's. With giggle gas 562 and 570 respectively.... The pump was advertised to offer 10-15hp gains. One thing to mention is these electric pumps are made to replace the actual mechanical belt driven pump. They bolt into the same place the original pump was except where the shaft the pulley bolts onto is now an electric motor. I don't think I have ever seen a universal pump that could be bolted on somewhere inline with a coolant hose. There would be a benefit to the vanagon that it could be programmed to have an after run time to help with a better cool down after driving. Depending on the temp mine is set to run anywhere from 3-10 minutes...

Bill P.S. Ken I'll look for that video for you later tonight...

Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote: Experiment of course, that's how gains are made. But I would be very, very surprised if you can get any measurable increase in fuel mileage in a vanagon by having an electric water pump instead of a belt driven one. The impeller portion is so small and easily driven, that I think probably the drag of the v-belt driving it is a bigger factor than the load on the impeller.

Additionally, in the whole scheme of what a vanagon is - a 4,000 lb box, and given the crudeness of the waterboxer engine breathing ..............the water pump is about .oooo2 % of a factor in fuel consumption. Like I would be shocked if there was a measurable increase by going to an electric water pump. But someone should experiment. Fuel economy is usually gotten by low aero drag, low rolling resistance, small engine, and often low rpm or very high gearing, and a high running temp. How efficient the engine is matters too of course. But a vanagon .............you got a lot to overcome there for fuel mileage gains.

One guy was claiming 26 mpg on gasoline, with a subaru 2.5 engine at 65ish........ Which I a little skeptical about. Anything in the low to middle 20's at a decent cruise speed of 65ish for a gasoline vanagon is 'about it' ........unless someone can unleash something really significant, ( I do have an idea in mind too, an aero improvement ) or numerous incremental improvements. I don't especially think a stock body gasoline vanagon with adequate performance and power can do over about 24 mpg at 65ish mph, tops. Maybe 24.5 . One subaru 2.2 conversion I did, the guy reported 21 to 22 mph inn really hot summer temps at high altitude, with one tank 24 mpg. I'd like to see some gasoline vanagon with adequate power and performance do better than that, in 'real operating ranges' of 50 to 70 mph, not an odd steady 40mp or something not practical like that. If you want a shock, calculate miles per dollar sometime. My all time record is putting a hundred bucks in an envelope, and only buying gas out of that, for a 56 VW Commercial Bus . doors on both sides. In the 70's. Drove 3,200 miles on that hundred bucks for 32 miles per dollar, on the open spaces of Nevada. These days I'm 20 mpg at $ 3/gallon = 5 gallons to go 100 miles - 15 dollars to go 100 miles, equals ..........what is that, 6 and a half miles per dollar or so. That sounds awful !

Anyway, I want to see someone do in the mid 20's on gasoline, in a vanagon, at decent speeds, and with adequate power and performance, or even a solid 25 mpg. That would be quite an accomplishment to get up to that kind of mpg *commonly* and like 'mostly most of the time.' .that would be phenomenal even. Scott

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Allan Streib Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 10:26 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Electric Water Pump

Kenneth Lewis writes:

> I agree with your assumptions as they apply to FWD cars that > require paltry amounts of coolant and only have to push it a short > distance. But what about Vanagons which hold gallons and have round > trips measured in yards? I would think that would greatly increase > the load on the water pump. I have compared a new pump to an old > one. The wear on the impeller blades is very evident . So an > electric driven water pump might prove a healthy gain in FE (fuel > economy).

A worn impeller is caused by corrosion and/or cavitation. Neglecting to change the coolant as specified is often a contributing factor, or it could be poor quality materials in the manufacturing process.

Allan -- 1991 Vanagon GL


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.