Replacing raw water cooling pump with electric pump

ruvane

ruvane

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24 Nov 2005
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190
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Ashkelon Marina
www.techno-laser.com
I have an old Volvo with a worn raw water cooling pump. The flow rate is fairly low so I was wondering what may be the drawbacks of using a 12v electric pump running at 6v? That is of course, assuming that the flow rate is still adequate. Derated like this the pump should be quiet and have a longer life.

Obviously one problem would be if the supply fails for any reason, but apart from this, why not?

Cheers,
Ruvane.
 
My MD7 with its Martec fresh water cooling conversion uses a 12V electric pump on its primary (fresh water) circuit. The pump is a Johnson C010P5-1 with 16mm connection,Order No. 10-35159-3 (12V) and has a rated life of 2000hours. I have accumulated about 1000 so far without any problems. Not cheap, but it seems to do the job.
 
The Johnson pump looks as if it's a centrifugal design and therefore might not be self-priming unless it has an integral reservoir. This could be solved by placing it below the waterline. A centrifugal design would avoid the impellor problems of usual style pumps. Don't know whether it's compatible with seawater.
 
It's fully compatible with seawater to my knowledge. We've used one for over ten years (the same one!) to pump the hot raw water of our engine through the calorifier. It runs all the time the engine is on so has 'done' hundreds of hours.

As mentioned, they are not cheap, but are pretty quiet and utterly reliable, and are standard supply on some of the retro-fit raw to fresh water cooling conversion kits.
 
There was a thread on electric pumps within the last 2 weeks. I have decided to use one on a Perkins Perama M20 which I am installing in my Freeman 22 (river/canal cruiser) The lowest flow rates of marine pumps would appear to be 10litres/minute. Links to electric pumps for engine cooling that will self prime follows
http://www.aquafax.co.uk/html/products.asp?ID=1918
I was surprised how cheap they are. This is the one I am likely to use as it is a fit and is the cheapest.
http://www.aquafax.co.uk/html/product_details.asp?ID=8711
Don't think you can buy direct. Hope this helps.
 
I wouldn't go that way. Try finding a rebuild replacement pump or a new one (shouldn't be a problem. Most raw water pumps on Volvo's are Jabsco). Putting electricity into the equasion of engine life on a boat is asking for trouble.
Also in the end might have spent an equal amount of money and still have less reliability. Stick to the old but robust design.

Arno
 
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