Water pump impeller blades

[insite]

quick cooling system primer:

water is ALWAYS circulating through the engine, regardless of whether the thermostat is open. to properly flush the block, remove the water pump and force fluid into the CENTER hole behind the water pump. this reverse flow fluid through the block first, then the heads, & then back out through the OUTER two holes behind the water pump.

when the thermostat does open, flow is FROM the block TO the radiators THROUGH the thermostat (true on all cars). water returns from the radiators to the engine & enters the engine on the left hand side of the car through the oil pump housing.

[Frodo]

OK, sorry to be so dense, but I need to get specific here...

To begin with, I currently have both the water pump and the thermostat off the car. This is what it looks like:




I've labeled the openings into the chamber where the thermostat lives.

A: The big opening over which the thermostat housing is bolted, with its gasket. One of the big hoses (either going to or returning from the radiators) attaches to it.

B: Follow the arrow; this opening goes up to the center opening of the water pump (where the impeller blades reside).

C: This is the opening over which the bottom part of the water pump unit attaches; it's got a small hose coming off it that I believe goes to the heater core and the bleeder valve.

D: This is the opening seen at the back of Opening C. It travels off to the right somewhere, I think communicating with the other big hose that makes up the circuit through the radiators. Don't know if it goes anywhere else.

As far as I can figure, the thermostat opening and closing affects only one thing: movement through the big opening A. Movement through B, C and D are not affected by the thermostat, right?

OK, to your suggestion specifically, ie to send water through the center hole of the water pump. So you're talking about fitting a hose (somehow--I have gotten some suggestions) onto Opening 1 here?:



I'm assuming you mean do this with the thermostat on, otherwise water simply runs down through B all over my garage floor. (As far as I can tell, Opening 1 goes only that one direction...wish I had one of the flexible endoscope videos!) So, if I put my t'stat on, do I do it with the t'stat itself in the housing? Being cold, it would be closed and prevent water movement out through the big opening A. [[ And since the water pump won't be turning, I guess little/no water will be going up through B. IGNORE that previous sentence---I wasn't thinking when I wrote it: the water pump isn't installed at all while we're flushing ]] So that leaves Cand D. Is that where we want water to flow, in order to flush out the block and the heads?

[insite]

you want the water to go in through 1. to make this work, you will want the thermostat housing on the engine WITH the thermostat installed. you will also need to plug C/D. it would also be best if you clamp the big hose on the other side of the engine as well (goes to the radiators).

the idea is to isolate the engine itself from the radiators & heater bypasses. when you get it right, water forced into 1 will come out of 2/3 after having fully circulated through the block and heads. FYI you will need a VERY good seal, as the engine really holds a lot of water. not even sure a common garden hose will supply enough volume/pressure to shake any sediment loose.

if you have trouble sealing off a hose into 1, i think as a (slightly less effective) alternative, you could re-install the water pump & unclamp/remove the big hose from the other side of the engine. attatch a hose to the water pump (pumping into C/D in your diagram) & pump the water out the other side of the motor. you will miss some passages this way.......

[jaykay]

Nice thread...and great pictures keep it up

[Frodo]

OK, Insite, I'm still confused...Suppose I'm a cockroach crawling around inside that chamber we're talkin about, all warm and fuzzy about my choice of hangouts---after all, I'm kind of hidden but I've got escape routes through A, B, C and/or D. Now---you said I should bolt on the thermostat housing with the t'stat included, AND also block off both C & D. With the thermostat cold (ie closed), I, the cockroach, am not going to be able to crawl out through A, and additionally C/D have also both been blocked. That leaves B as the only way out, and that's where you want me to put the hose (actually 1, but that goes only one place: down through B). Once that's done, and the water turned on, there's no escape for either me or the water---it's a locked box with no exits. What am I missing?

[insite]

frodo -

you can't see it in your photos, but there is an 'E'.......

hang on; i'll go take a photo of one.

[insite]

re-reading your post, you had it labeled as D.

basically, when the thermostat is closed, water gets sucked from C & D into the wather pump inlet (1). it is then forced through 2/3 into the heads, then the block, then back through D. you want to reverse this by flowing water into D.

[Frodo]

You da man, Kev.

How'd you get that photo???