Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19

Thread: Thoughts on putting the water pump on a clutch?

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Toronto
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    1,028
    Thanks
    1,543
    Thanked 240 Times in 199 Posts

    Question Thoughts on putting the water pump on a clutch?

    I primarly drive very short trips where during almost half my trip the cold engine light is on(the green thermometer light thingy). Its my understanding that the physical coolant thermostat does not open until a while after this cold engine light turns off.


    Does having the water pump run during this engine warmup period have any use?

    I understand that our physical coolant thermostats have a bypass so it could still be useful for warming up the transmission and the throttle body. but im unsure how useful.


    has anyone attempted to measure the amount of power one could save by turning it off? (both in slightly decreased warmup times and in energy wasted by the pump)


    Id also like to point out that im not the first genius with the idea of electronically controlling the water pump. Some hybrid vehicles like the BMW i8 use a computer controlled electric water pump



  2. #2
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    10,154
    Thanks
    4,039
    Thanked 2,785 Times in 2,104 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by mohammad View Post
    I primarly drive very short trips where during almost half my trip the cold engine light is on(the green thermometer light thingy). Its my understanding that the physical coolant thermostat does not open until a while after this cold engine light turns off.


    Does having the water pump run during this engine warmup period have any use?

    I understand that our physical coolant thermostats have a bypass so it could still be useful for warming up the transmission and the throttle body. but im unsure how useful.


    has anyone attempted to measure the amount of power one could save by turning it off? (both in slightly decreased warmup times and in energy wasted by the pump)


    Id also like to point out that im not the first genius with the idea of electronically controlling the water pump. Some hybrid vehicles like the BMW i8 use a computer controlled electric water pump
    I would think not having coolant circulating would be harmful to both an engine and to a warranty claim.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Manila
    Country
    Philippines
    Posts
    299
    Thanks
    9
    Thanked 88 Times in 64 Posts
    Name:  IMG_20210804_164940[1].jpg
Views: 509
Size:  76.5 KB the water pump is belt driven you cant turn it off, its just a very small load for the engine its almost negligible since its just a small pump and a very small engine to recirculate the coolant, modifying the cooling system and gaining a very small amount is not worth it.

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Location
    n/a
    Country
    Australia
    Posts
    225
    Garage empty: add car
    Thanks
    35
    Thanked 65 Times in 45 Posts
    You might be better served by a block and transmission heater, the coolant pretty much already does what you are proposing with your mod. Until the thermostat opens the pump is just pushing the water but it isn't really circulating.

    You could also just drive in B gear until the light goes away.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Toronto
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    1,028
    Thanks
    1,543
    Thanked 240 Times in 199 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by skyblue View Post
    You might be better served by a block and transmission heater, the coolant pretty much already does what you are proposing with your mod.

    You could also just drive in B gear until the light goes away.
    That is the obvious answer but i unfortunately don't have access to electricity at home(im in an apartment building)

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to mohammad For This Useful Post:

    CROSSBOLT (11-05-2021)

  7. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Location
    n/a
    Country
    Australia
    Posts
    225
    Garage empty: add car
    Thanks
    35
    Thanked 65 Times in 45 Posts
    You could rig up a front vent blocker and have an actuator cable that you can pull up from in the car if you are going for a longer drive and need normal ventilation.

    You could also get an inverter and try and power your block heaters from the alternator.

  8. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Toronto
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    1,028
    Thanks
    1,543
    Thanked 240 Times in 199 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by skyblue View Post
    You could rig up a front vent blocker and have an actuator cable that you can pull up from in the car if you are going for a longer drive and need normal ventilation.

    You could also get an inverter and try and power your block heaters from the alternator.
    Both of these are good ideas i myself have pondered.

    I have considered a front vent blocker but im not sure if it would make a noticeable difference in warmup time.


    The latter option of running a block heater off the alternator seems incredibly expensive to me. Also puts additional load under the warming up engine(the alternator will be running at full power) which is the opposite of what i want.


    I think i may also be overestimating my potential fuel savings trying to make the engine warm up slightly faster. I may also be overestimating the harm im doing to the engine driving immediately after starting the car. Im my mind i feel that putting a cold engine under load causes uneven warmup and damage/warping of the engine/head.

  9. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Location
    n/a
    Country
    Australia
    Posts
    225
    Garage empty: add car
    Thanks
    35
    Thanked 65 Times in 45 Posts
    Yeah best to just drive normally, I thought you were worried about not burning off the condensation.

  10. #9
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    10,154
    Thanks
    4,039
    Thanked 2,785 Times in 2,104 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by skyblue View Post
    Until the thermostat opens the pump is just pushing the water but it isn't really circulating.
    Not exactly. I’m pretty sure the coolant circulates inside the engine, heater core and throttle body until it’s warm enough to need to be sent through to the radiator. Stopping coolant circulation throughout the engine could lead to hot spots that can cause serious damage.

    Further details: Your Engine's Cooling System

    If you want faster warmup times consider adding a block heater, a oil pan heater, a coolant heater, a warm air intake, a grill block, and even an engine blanket. There’s lots of threads here that cover such matters.

    Hope this helps.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  11. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Eggman For This Useful Post:

    CROSSBOLT (11-05-2021),skyblue (08-04-2021)

  12. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Country is Europe, state is Germany
    Country
    Germany
    Posts
    1,713
    Thanks
    234
    Thanked 1,158 Times in 670 Posts
    Our cars have a somewhat unusual cooling system. It is designed so the entire engine including cylinder jackets get warm quick, and the thermostat is located on the lower part of the block near water pump and oil filter. There is a section in that area that actually acts as an oil/water heat exchanger.
    This setup was pioneered in a similar engine in the SMART car. It is a fine piece of engineering, and I certainly would not want to stop the water pump from operating!

    You may want to look at a partial grille block, plenty of threads here.



Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •