STEWART Water Pump issues :( ??

[LOBE_50]

Well, I ordered the Standard rotation water pump from them, since I eliminated my PS and AC. I wanted to run a STD rotation pump so the belt routing would clean

BAD NEWS!!! After the car was put back together I noticed that it was running HOT. I brought it home and checked EVERYTHING it came down to look like the H2O pump.

Just for the hell of it I routed the belt another way to spin the pump in a reverse (counterclockwise) rotation.
Well in behold It ran perfect at a constant 180*.

I called jack at Stewart and he said it couldn't be the pump, because there STD and Reverse rotation pumps are exactly the same as far as impellar. So it should work BOTH ways???

He INSISTED that it was NOT the pump, so I should try it again. Maybe I had a air bubble. So I went home and did it, BAD MOVE trying to get home after routing it to spin STD (clockwise) rotation the temp climbed up to the 250* mark on my Autometer gauge. And sure enough it started running rough.

YUP I BLEW A BRAND NEW HEAD GASKET

I had just put this motor together.

I went through hell to even get a new pump to try to use from STEWART. After I finally talked them into sending me a NEW STD Rotation pump, I found out the Head Gasket was shot.

So now the motor is apart again, not even 25 miles on it

So today I get the NEW pump, and he is right as far as the impellars looking EXACTLY the same for the so called STD and Reverse rotation??????

So I am SOOOOOO confused as to WHY this pump caused my motor to overheat and blow a head gasket spinning in STD rotation????

Anyone else ever notice the impellar design???????

Any input???
Maybe I should return both these Stewarts and buy a $16 STK replacement?? Since I have to run the belt the other way anyway to get the STEWART pump to work???

Could the pump be BAD???
Any Input??
Thanx,
LOBE
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[Old Guy with 87 GT]

i got a stewrt pump in mine .....got it like 3 months ago ......if i remember correctly the impeller design didn't look directional , looked like it could pump if turning the opisite direction.......i was kinda thinking ....wouldn't the design of the housing determine the direction of the water flow though,........look at both pumps and see if the housing (casting) is the same inside....one should look opisite

one another note ,the stewart pump in my car has about 7,000 miles on it and no problems yet .....car holds its temp pretty good

[LOBE_50]

Yeah the castings are also the same. Stewart admits there is NO difference in their STD and REV pumps. The part # only pertains to backplet fitment to timing cover.


Confused???????

Thanx,
LOBE
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[Jeb_Bush_2000]

Help me out here.


If you spin the water pump the opposite direction than stock, aren't you pumping the coolant backwards through the engine?


And...because you're doing this, doesn't that mess up how the engine cools?

[Old Guy with 87 GT]

is there any difference to the backing plates that would control direction

i'm thinking that if there identical then if you turn it the opisite direction =water would flow in the opisite direction

now i'm puzzled

maybe there's more to it with the design of the cooling system,.......are there differences in the cooling system on a std rotation pump designed moter.???.........

[LOBE_50]

Nope backing plates are the same also.

And my dad had mentioned what JEB mentioned.

I know there are other people running this pump w/ no other changes mentioned.

But it does make sense it would flow backwards???

What a MESS....

LOBE
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[LOBE_50]

ttt