Technical Low cost water pump riser would you buy and use one?

I was having an issue with my SBC water pump sitting too low and wanted to raise it up a bit. It sat so low the fan was going to end up cooling my front cross member. Of course the easy way out would be to just put an electric fan and shroud on and be done with it. On a "somewhat" traditional car I thought the electric fan would be outta place besides I like a nice mechanical fan. Less things to go wrong and no wiring of relays and things. I looked into the zips riser and it put the fan too high. While doing some research I found Street Dreams by Ross LLC. They make a water pump relocation kit. His kit as it comes now brings the pump up almost 2" and forward 1.750". The nice thing is you use your existing water pump no need to go out and buy another pump. It's also more compact and I think it just plain looks less noticeable than the zips riser. I think this could be a viable less expensive alternative to other designs that might not fit their application. Besides it's nice to have options. What do you all think?

 

Looks like a very nice piece and yes, if that's what it takes to get your fan into a more efficient location, by all means, I would buy and use one. I had never seen this particular one before now as most folks seem to use the Zip's riser or the Snow White products.

 

The zips riser is $250 from speedway plus $35 for the 6 cylinder water pump so that's almost $300. I've also heard that the 6 cylinder pumps arent as good as the small block water pumps. The snow white rise take an opel water pump and they aren't as easy to find. So at almost 1/3rd the cost I think the is an option. Other issues I had were the zips riser would bring the fan up too high and the blades would hit the bottom of the top tank on the radiator and it would also interfere with the oil fill tube. The only potential down side is it brings the water pump forward 1-3/4" and some people can't afford that kind of space.

 

interesting , but as you said that 1-3/4" forward could be a problem

 

Yeah I haven't put my fan on yet but it should fit. I'm running a stock Chevy clutch fan. I have a clutch-less fan too as a back up. As I always say...It's good to have options.

 

So what you do is use this riser with a short water instead of the long water pump on the block.

If you are already using the long pump its works out bracket wise and there is no increase in forward space. Probably can't use it with short water pump brackets.

 

I'd use this riser, no problem.

Theres a jaguar fan clutch that is the shortest ever made. Napa gets them in a day or 2

 

I was using a short pump from the start same as most hot rod builders do, for space reasons.

 

Do you have a part number?

 

2765
92-96 jag

 

So you're saying you spaced all the short pump brackets and pulleys to match the 1-3/4 additional spacer?

That's a net 1-3/4" gain over the short pump.

Or ran the short pump on the riser with the long pump pulleys and brackets. Which is a zero gain over the long pump.

 

No I ran short water pump on everything (pulleys and all). I only had to space out the crank pulley .500" to match the offset of the pump. I used a 3 groove lower and a 2 groove upper so in the future if I ever want to run AC I have the extra groove but you could get away with 2 groove upper and lower and it would work just fine. I made the lower alternator bracket but a powermaster 770 bracket should work.

 

I have used the zips water pump on my 34 for over 30 years! A cast steel one.
Works well ! the best part is you have the ac and alt bracket included.
Don't know how well they are made today?
I also made one like the one ,you have in the pictures out of steel.
It also worked well!
The big thing to watch is your pulley sizes.
The zip one tells you to use a large crank pulley.
I think 7.1/4 don't remember? but that will spin the pump faster.
I remember I had a hard time finding one at that time?
I'm sure someone is making them now?

 

On the zips I used I had to ad an inch plus fan spacer to get the fan closer to the radiator. I have had an issue getting the ac belt tight enough to keep the belt from whipping at the compressor. Only makes noise when the ac clutch is engaged.

 

If it works to solve your problem then go for it.
Let me add something you might not be thinking about for long term application. Years ago when I was running a 389 Pontiac I thought I was fighting a blown head gasket problem because of water getting in the oil. Long story short it turned out to be a timing cover problem. The discharge of the water pump goes into the timing cover and the water flow has to make a sharp 90# turn to get into the block. After a while the water flow actually eats a hole through the Aluminum timing cover and seeps water into the oil pan. The way water would flow into the adapters would probably do the same thing after awhile only this time it has to change directions twice. Not leak into the oil but still a leak.
On a low miles street rod it probably won't matter but on a daily driver I would opt for a proven product like the Zipps. My opinion for what it's worth......

 

So, how much does Street Dreams get for one of their water pump relocation kits? Are they in production, and for sale now?
-Thanks

 

FWIW, the main problem w/ the six cyl water pumps is they need a plate fixed onto the back of the impeller blades to provide adequate water flow. Some pumps that are described as "hi-flow" already have this. Looked at the nearly $300 price tag, think I'll try a good shroud first. K6

 

Nice shroud doesn't raise the wp or fan though

 

True, but either raising the fan, or adding a shroud to the fan, the goal would be to move air through the radiator more effectively. Two paths to the same solution. K6

 

Here is his web site. and yes they are available because I just go mine in. It's a quality piece and comes with all the hardware and gaskets.
http://www.streetdreamsbyross.com/fiero.php

 

My point is that a shroud won't move the fan to clear obstacles, get the fan out of the crossmember, correct an aesthetic imbalance. A shroud isn't a substitute for a riser nor the riser a substitute for the shroud.

A water pump riser helped me maintain a flat floor, keep the mechanical fan, increase fan diameter. There's no way A shroud couldn't do that

 

Yeah, there is no one size fits all solutions in rodding, I suppose. I have a non-stock Chevy small block in a '57 Chevy half-ton, where the fan clears everything, yet sits too low in relation to the radiator to cool it effectively. I found a steel shroud, early '60's Pontiac, that seems designed for this oddball offset that I have. In this case, it is more cost effective than the Zips riser. As long as what you've got works for you, is the important thing. K6

 

I think Zips and others are OK but if the engine was set in right one wouldn't be necessary.. All the model A's I've built has the engine set so a mechanical fan can be used and cools fine.. And I run full hoods.. Just saying, however the option to raise the pump seems to work too...

 

I have used the zips on several cars and they work great to center the engine driven mechanical fan on the radiator,the deuce radiators ar much taller than the model A. HRP

 

6 cylinder water pumps aren't as good as the sbc,,balderdash!,I always wanted to say that.

I've never had any trouble with them and have ran them on several deuces. HRP

 

Feel better? I'm happy I was able to be the outlet that allowed you to cross that off your bucket list.

 

Ive never had cooling problems with a SBC with a 1932 radiator, or a big block Chrysler with a stock rebuilt 1932 radiator. Maybe I'm lucky?

 

Let me make it clear. I don't have a problem with the Zips or snow white risers they are great products. They just wouldn't work for my application. This was originally designed to fit a SBC into a Fiero and I thought he was missing out a whole other market so I asked him to send me one to see if it would work for me. In return I told him I would figure out the pulley configuration and spread the word to see if there was any interest in an alternative market like hot rods. He did his part and sent me one so here I am spreading the word. For reasons mentions earlier in the thread (filler tube and fan clearance) this may be something someone wants and it is less expensive too.

 

Engineering wise, I'm thinking they don't raise the fan enough on a 32 hiboy..... Looks like they should raise the fan 3" or 4" to work on my 32 coupe......Can someone else measure their 32?

I would be a buyer if one is offered with the 3"- 4" rise......the 1.75 forward is perfect on my deuce.

Street Dreams what you say?......can that be done?