Anyone used an electric sea water pump for engine cooling?

J

Jcorstorphine

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I have converted a Ford 1.6 Diesel which is running fine but I have a problem getting room for the crankshaft Lancing type water pump. I have installed a Jabsco pump running off an additional pulley fitted to the engine fresh water pump but not really happy with the installation. Has anyone used an electrically driven sea water pump for engine cooling through a Bowman heat exchanger.

Thanks

John C
 
Re: Anyone used an electric sea water pump for engine cooling? ref PCU

Thanks for the reply, I am just not happy with the installation. I have had to fit the pump on the stbd side of the engine as the port side has the fuel pump and the alternator. Due to the rotation of the pump, the inlet has to be at the top and the outlet at the bottom which makes for lots of bends to get to the seacock and the heat exchanger. Also a bit worried about using the fresh water pump pulley to drive the seawater pump.

Been having a look at some of the running currents of 12 volts pumps but some of them have quiet high running currents. I seem to remember that there was a Kit for converting the old MD Volvos to fresh water cooling which used an electric pump and a shell and tube heat exchanger. Any thoughts.
 
Re: Anyone used an electric sea water pump for engine cooling? ref PCU

Just a thought, but with an electric pump running when the engine isn't there could be a chance of back filling the exhaust manifold and wrecking the engine.
 
Re: Anyone used an electric sea water pump for engine cooling? ref PCU

Good point but the plan was to fit a normally open oil pressure switch and run the pump through a relay. The pump would only run so long as there was oil pressure and therefor the engine must be running.

Thanks
 
Re: Anyone used an electric sea water pump for engine cooling? ref PCU

There used to be a system on the market by Martec to convert from raw water to fresh water cooling. I think that used a Johnson electric pump. I also think that ASAP sold the parts. Personally I would not be happy with an electric pump for the coolant.

Your system sounds a bit like theone on my last boat (with a BMC Captain engine.) The "fan belt" drove three other pulleys: the dynamo, engine "fresh" water pump and a raw water pump. I did not like the arrangement either as the side load on the waterpump pulley caused the pump bearings to wear, and pulled the pump slightly out of line. I would have preferred a pump driven directly off the camshaft. That is the arrangement on the Watermota adapted Ford 1.6 that is in my current boat.
 
Re: Anyone used an electric sea water pump for engine cooling? ref PCU

to make the system foolproof, connect the electric waterpump directly to the output of the alternator. Most boats this days have a 2 battery installation with disconnecting diodes. If you connect the waterpump directly to the alternator, the pump has only power when the engine is running. If the relais fails, the engine will be flooded in no time as the average water separator has +- 10 liter spare capacity. Most waterpumps are rated for intermittend use only.

Peter
 
Martek use the sea water pump to heat exchanger then exhaust ( Doing its usual Volume) and elecrtic for the fresh water. Hope you find this info helpful.
 
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