Ottawa Fiero Club Forum

I just got an idea guys!

#1 kille of Fiero's is the heat... you throw a belt, water pump dies, whatever, she starts cooking and the there is a little grmlin knocking in your engine.

I just came up with schematics for a backup system in my head. :)  Mount an electric waterump up front by the rad. When all is good, it does nothing.

Pickup a temp switch for a few degrees above what is acceptable temp for a Fiero engine, wire it to a relay. if the engine starts to overheat (the belt slipeed, whatever) it will trigger the electric pump relay and you can safely get home! I would also wire a LED to the relay so that you have some kind of blinking light to let you know the system is saving your butt.

what do you think?

GREAT IDEA!!!!!  FOR SURE FOR ME...I got no belt right now, burnt it self off after I went through car wash     Go Figure.


I also got a Radiator for my computer too :P:P:P

you might want to figure out how the auxiliary pump would actually be plumbed into the piping so that it would pump thru the rad and not around itself in a little loop (the bypass you put it in?) or were you thinking that it would go inline with the main supply to the rad?  In that case you would pump all your cooling water thru the aux pump all the time?  Don't know what the effect of that might be.
putting in some big isolation or bypass type valves would be very bulky and costly too of course.
just some thoughts.  having backup is a nice idea.

Second back-up TOW TRUCK/CAA OR IF YOU ARE IN THE STATES SAY JULY THEN IT'S A TOW ROPE BEHIND CHRISTINE. HA.

I've seen some water pumps that flow through when off. IE: when the pump is not on, it will let the fluid pass through. Going to get more info on that.

I hear of many people installing electric pumps on hot rods to "help" with cooling. (original pump still connected)


Cheers!

Seems a little redundant.  I believe there is a guage and light that warn of impending doom.

chris: "hey look at that light, wonder why it's on?"

How about a chain drive Briggs and Stratton up front, in case the motor quits.

Eric, have you seen all those frickin' belts and pulleys we're gonna have?

Just to let you know gary, the light never did come on.  :(

Hehe just messin' with ya Chris.  I blew up the water pump pulley on my Fiat and didn't notice till the last of the coolant disappeared.  :o

yeah, our belts are going to be a scarry issue.. Are you using the ac or the power steering pulley??? People are telling me to leave the AC compressor on and use as a pulley... I just can't do it.. I can't bring myself to leave a 40 pound compressor there to just hold a belt... I much rather another battery or something usefull...

Still workin on that one. :(

ok, Eric'
here's a thought for you - and I have NO input on how you'd do it but......
to address the pulley and belt and cooling issue -  rig up belt driven water pump using the clutch from the ac compressor so it can be switched on when and if needed only!  It would be a stand-alone system, and act as the cooling system for your intercooler?........ ;) ;) ;) it pumps water thru two smaller heater-core size rads (aluminum) then thru the intercooler then thru the aux pump with a thermostatic type bypass valve that would non-electrically regulate the temp (or not; just run it as cool as it will run)  You could rig up a cross connect to the engine for an emergency backup.

so many ideas!  so little logic!
gp

Sounds goos i had some bad luck last November,my bracket snap off the gremlins start to knock a few seconds before i got home,im keeping my fingers crossed  no serious damaged occured :-\