When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have mine routed back to the top RAD hose. Had a few issues pop up out of no where at the track last night. After a few 8 sec passes the temps would climb as if I didn't have the water pump on. IF I'd make a sharp turn, suddenly temps would drop back down. It's like i introduced some air in the system and it can't get rid of it. Don't appear to have any HG sealing issues or coolant/oil where it shouldn't be. Its like I have an air pocket I just can't get rid of. Assuming a giant funnel is the only burp method that works? I've never run electric water pumps before. Any tricks? I run no thermo.
On the way home from track this started happening. Would climb from 180 to 220-230. Yet the gauge on my radiator cap said 190ish. Id leave the fan and pump on and temps woudl come down quick. THen I'd drive a bit and they'd jump back up. This is when I noticed if I performed a few "nascar tire warm up procedures" the temps would come down on their own. Guys run swirl pots with elec pumps?
Basic layout rad is up front. WP sits lower than rad. factory location. Top hose is roughly the highest point in the system. Factory steam vent setup fronts only. Fill is on the radiator which is higher than pump.
Guessing I may have pushed a little air in the system as it's been running as is great with no issues for about a year now. This is the first sign of trouble. I'll go grab a couple shots of engine bay.
You have the steam port tied I to the line coming from the driver side?
The layout is asking for trouble and you are airlocking the pump
The line you have coming across the engine bay is the pump suction. Any air from the steam port put in that line is t making it to the radiator to be purged. It is being pulled back into the pump
Even if the steam port wasn't to the line you would still fight air in that return line configured like that up high
Steam port to the passenger side tank end tank
And run a dual pass radiator so you have the return port in the on the lower passenger side. Right up to the pump suction.
You have the steam port tied I to the line coming from the driver side?
The layout is asking for trouble and you are airlocking the pump
The line you have coming across the engine bay is the pump suction. Any air from the steam port put in that line is t making it to the radiator to be purged. It is being pulled back into the pump
Even if the steam port wasn't to the line you would still fight air in that return line configured like that up high
Steam port to the passenger side tank end tank
And run a dual pass radiator so you have the return port in the on the lower passenger side. Right up to the pump suction.
Will work perfect
Gotcha had read u wanted the steam port on the low pressure side since it was high pressure coming out. So put it at a high point on the inlet. So your saying put it to the rad tank? Can i put it in the pass hose?
The driver side is the pump supply and is on the bottom of the radiator. The pass is on the top and is the fill side. Its a triple pass core.
Its difficult to fit a standard radiator in there. This is a specialty 4" thick 14x14 core. So cant really change cores without a ton of work. Worked well with the factory water pump for ages. Was thinking since the rad is always full that lower line should always have an air free prime? I could try to run the driver side along the bottom... think that alone would do it?
So the beauty of the electric pump is that you can run it to pump out the air pockets. Motion Raceworks shows a good video using their steam vent kit center port and running a longer line to a bucket rather than the radiator. As the high point in the coolant system, you can run the water pump and pump the air pocket out that line to the bucket. You'll know it's gone when you get a clean stream of coolant to the bucket. Then top off the coolant and your should be good to go.
It's also important to note that the steam lines should always run to the top of the radiator and never directly back towards the pump since that would reintroduce the air into the system. By going back to the top of the radiator, you're allowing the cooling overflow to burp the air out as the radiator cap opens to allow flow back and forth to the overfill tank.
You could have a steam vent bung welded into your radiator to that correct position and then run the line directly that way.
Oh the time and effort involved! lol... Appreciate the input all. I'll find a way to get he steam port where it needs to be and get that driver side hose routing as low as possible.
Believe those end tanks are cast, so It may just be a matter of drilling and tapping.
Look up a tool called Airlift. It places a vacuum on the system and then fills through a suction hose. It's what we use all day on the new cars that are about impossible to "burp". I literally Airlift the coolant in, drive them around the block and back to the customer with confidence there isn't air or not enough to cause any overheating/comeback issues. I don't think this is the issue you have now though. Brother's car spun the impeller center in the blade. ShoGun pump, crappy design. Going Meziere on the block. Not sure if your pump is metal impeller or plastic. Plastic ones can do this, something to consider. i think you're pushing compression in, unfortunately.
If you can find a way to rout the bottom hose (currently runs across top) below the rad and into pump then put the steam port adapter into the upper hose (from pump to rad) you should be good to go. Airlift is surely the best/fastest way to fill a system without air voids. Interesting the nascar tire scrub maneuver would drop coolant temp. I suspect you were sloshing coolant into engine air voided areas to pull temp down.
Mine is ran directly to the pump suction and the lowest pressure point of the system... But I am collecting the air before it gets there. Just using the pressure differential from head port to pump suction to give excellent velocity from the steam port to strip and move any gas
Yes to the passenger side upper hose will get the job done. You just don't have much of a pressure differential from the head port to the that upper hose
If anything try to get that pump suction ran down low
Built it properly with a remote header tank and discharge the "steam" ports to it. And mount it higher than the rad and that top hose to ensure the entire system can remain full of water. I'd nearly be inclined to add a further bleed from that top hose to the header as that top hose is a natural air trap.
That top hose is actually the bottom hose feeding the suction side of the pump. It should always be in the lowest portion of the cooling system. A remote tank at the highest point in the system with vapor line to upper tank always works well too.
Well re-routed the pump feed down and under. It's actually lower than the radiator for most of the run. Then plumbed the steam line to the top of the radiator. We'll see how this works... Thanks all!
08-02-2020, 10:24 AM
Electric Water pump folks and steam lines? 
