So much wrong/right in this pic.
#1
Old [Sch|F]ool
Thread Starter
So much wrong/right in this pic.
That's a GSL-SE engine, wearing an FC water pump housing, intake manifold (note bulb to cover air port), and oil pan, sitting on modified FC mounts, bolted to an FC subframe, in an FB chassis...
Because, that's why.
#5
Old [Sch|F]ool
Thread Starter
Holds up just fiiiine...
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#12
Old [Sch|F]ool
Thread Starter
I'm only using the FC unit because it's supposed to work better than the FB unit. Saving a couple pounds is pointless if you can't drive the car because it's overheating.
#13
Lives on the Forum
fb pump seems to be working fine for me Peejay. I've never had temp issues though. So why am I bothering to upgrade to a 3 row radiator? I have to wonder about my decision processes sometimes....
#14
Old [Sch|F]ool
Thread Starter
I've had a LOT of belt issues that I think I've traced to cavitation causing irregular loading on the belts. I only get about 500-1000mi from belts before they are stretched out!
Switching pumps did no good because, unlike I was suspecting, the FC and FB pumps DO have the impeller in the same place. One thing that did help was to make sure that the lower hose had no kinks in it. This is very hard to accomplish with the current state of aftermarket radiators. I have YET to see a radiator that has the lower nipple bent properly. The latest radiator was the worst, instead of pointing to the side, it points straight up!
Helpful tip: Get a radiator hose for a, say, '98 ZX2. Really, any Ford-engined post-1990 Escort should work, I just chose the ZX2 because that's what I had in front of me. Anyway, the key factor is that the ZX2/Escort hose has a little bend and then a big J-bend, like a sink drain. You aren't going to use all of the hose, but you will be able to make this hose fit "perfectly" with some trimming. Put an anti-collapse spring in the hose.
I still have belt issues, but the car stays much cooler. Between the FC housing, good lower hose, and 300M cooling fans, I can cool the car in real time. By that I mean, I had the car on the dyno, started a run at 195deg, and the coolant was at 185deg at the end of the run.
Now I just have to get it to stop eating belts. Those Gilmer drive units are starting to look nice at $200, since I'll probably spend $300 on belts this year otherwise... but somehow I think that there's got to be a more elegant solution.
Switching pumps did no good because, unlike I was suspecting, the FC and FB pumps DO have the impeller in the same place. One thing that did help was to make sure that the lower hose had no kinks in it. This is very hard to accomplish with the current state of aftermarket radiators. I have YET to see a radiator that has the lower nipple bent properly. The latest radiator was the worst, instead of pointing to the side, it points straight up!
Helpful tip: Get a radiator hose for a, say, '98 ZX2. Really, any Ford-engined post-1990 Escort should work, I just chose the ZX2 because that's what I had in front of me. Anyway, the key factor is that the ZX2/Escort hose has a little bend and then a big J-bend, like a sink drain. You aren't going to use all of the hose, but you will be able to make this hose fit "perfectly" with some trimming. Put an anti-collapse spring in the hose.
I still have belt issues, but the car stays much cooler. Between the FC housing, good lower hose, and 300M cooling fans, I can cool the car in real time. By that I mean, I had the car on the dyno, started a run at 195deg, and the coolant was at 185deg at the end of the run.
Now I just have to get it to stop eating belts. Those Gilmer drive units are starting to look nice at $200, since I'll probably spend $300 on belts this year otherwise... but somehow I think that there's got to be a more elegant solution.
#16
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Put an anti-collapse spring in the hose.
I still have belt issues, but the car stays much cooler. Between the FC housing, good lower hose, and 300M cooling fans, I can cool the car in real time. By that I mean, I had the car on the dyno, started a run at 195deg, and the coolant was at 185deg at the end of the run..
I still have belt issues, but the car stays much cooler. Between the FC housing, good lower hose, and 300M cooling fans, I can cool the car in real time. By that I mean, I had the car on the dyno, started a run at 195deg, and the coolant was at 185deg at the end of the run..
#17
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#18
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Ouch! (4 speed mod)
Peejay, there must be a reason for the belt issue. Are they stretching out because you have to tighten them too much in order to prevent slippage? Or, do you maybe have a "wobble" in system?
I've never had cooling issues, even with the beat up (falling apart) 1st gen radiator. Even with the two little (but powerful) MR2 e-fans. Then I ran a 2nd gen radiator (non-aluminum) with those fans, and again, no issues.
Make sure you are treating the cause, rather than just chasing symptoms.
.
Peejay, there must be a reason for the belt issue. Are they stretching out because you have to tighten them too much in order to prevent slippage? Or, do you maybe have a "wobble" in system?
I've never had cooling issues, even with the beat up (falling apart) 1st gen radiator. Even with the two little (but powerful) MR2 e-fans. Then I ran a 2nd gen radiator (non-aluminum) with those fans, and again, no issues.
Make sure you are treating the cause, rather than just chasing symptoms.
.
#20
What is different about your situation and why can't you just tighten the belts?
#22
Old [Sch|F]ool
Thread Starter
My problem wasn't really "stretching" so much as actual wear - the belt would get narrower and narrower until it would start riding on the inside of the pulley. A belt that needed the alternator pushed all the way down and pried on with a screwdriver would be at the end of the adjustment limit in a very short time.
The solution was twofold: Stop using a minibelt on the water pump, which was a step backwards IMO, and switch belt brands. I'm using a Continental belt, it's been on the car for six or seven thousand miles and I haven't even had to adjust it yet.
Of course, I had two interesting failures recently... one was an FC strut mount that tore itself in half, and the other was the rearend housing that split up the middle like a chef cracks an egg. The 225mi drive home destroyed the front pinion bearing... and I'd put that diff in a few months ago, and the gearset had JUST broken in to the point where it was quiet. (gears from the front of a 4x4 never see load on the drive side, until you put them in an RX-7) And I only bought it because $100 for a junkyard Kia pumpkin is cheaper than new bearings for the old one. Le sigh.
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James Paventi
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