Daves Craig Electric water pump & controller unit

[jeep97tj]

Just a guick Q

I have the raditor mounted in the back of what is left of my zuk so i need to run a electric water pump. My Q is do i have to run the controller as well? or can i just let the pump run flat out all the time. The raditor is a 3 core about 16"h x 24"w, if thst makes a differance. Im just woried about burning it out if it is running flat out with the thermostat closed.

Also does any 1 know any cheap places to buy 1 from?

Thanks Shane

[jeep97tj]

another thing, can any 1 see why i cant just use a $60 thermo fan controller to control the water pump? dont want to spend $230 on a craig controller if a $60 one will do tne same job.

[-Scott-]

All I know about these things if from conversations with a mate who runs one.

You don't run a thermostat - the controller adjusts the pump speed to regulate the coolant temperature.

A thermo fan controller is either on or off - the Craig controller ramps the pump speed up and down. So the cheap controller won't do the same job.

Or I could be wrong.

Scott

[jeep97tj]

Thanks scott. ended up geting both for a good price, so no booty fab on the cooling system

Thanks Shane

[murcod]

Hi Shane, what sort of price did you end up paying?

Also, are you going to remove the factory water pump and somehow block the hole off that's left- or leave it in place to "freewheel" with the flow?

From research I've done in the past like Scott said they do run slowly all the time and only speed up when necessary.

[jeep97tj]

at the moment i will just leave the stock pump hooked up because i just want to wheel the thing, but the plan is to remove the stock pump and thermostat. I got the lot for $350. The elec water pump sells for $240 and the on/off thermo fan controller sells for $60, so i bit the bullet and spent the extra $50 to do the job properly.

[murcod]

I just found this articel- supposedly it doesn't start pumping until 80 degrees? I would have thought some water flow would have been necessary to make sure all the sensors read the correct temp?

[rlaxton]

One thing that you should be aware of is that when Autospeed did a complete review of the Davies Craig EWP setup a few years ago, Davies Craig were so unhappy with the results that they sued Autospeed to prevent them from publishing the article.

I am not sure that I would trust my engine to the products of a company that prefers to sue a bad reviewer rather than fix the problem that caused the bad review in the first place.

That said, I have a Davies Craig brushless, magnetically coupled booster pump as my water-air intercooler pump and it seems to work fine.

Richard.

[murcod]

I've met a certain person who writes for Autospeed and he can be a bit ..... ummm.... rude and abrasive.....

There are a fair few reviews of installs on the internet which seem very favourable from real life installs.

[murcod]

http://www.are.com.au/products/Parts/dc_waterpump.htm here's that link that I forgot to post in one of my previous posts.

And another excellent "how to" on installing in an old Holden:
http://gallery.oldholden.com/ReaperHR/H ... Water_Pump

And here's a not so happy customer! : http://sikls1.v8owners.com.au/index49.html

[jeep97tj]

Thanks david, there are thousands out there so it should be good on the little 1.3, just have to remember not to put a 5L v8 in the next buggy .

[DeWsE]

Thanks david, there are thousands out there so it should be good on the little 1.3, just have to remember not to put a 5L v8 in the next buggy .

Okay well maybe just a turbo'd 6

[murcod]

Actually I think that guy had a 5.7l Gen III V8?

I'm thinking about one for my Feroza possibly... But I'm not too keen on the dodgy EWP controller temp sensor set up- why the hell don't they use a proper screw in sensor?! Shoving wires under a coolant hose is just asking for leaks or shorts IMHO.

[jeep97tj]

nothing a bit of ultra blue wont fix .
Remember most of these sales would go to street cars, they arnt tough like 4x4 owners, they would shiit them selfs if you brought a drill near they car.

[jeep97tj]

Thanks david, there are thousands out there so it should be good on the little 1.3, just have to remember not to put a 5L v8 in the next buggy .

Okay well maybe just a turbo'd 6

Im liking jeeps new all alloy v6 diesel

[roverlux]

got a ewp running from start up. its grear for bush and crawling.

highly reccomend it without a controller unit, just a thermo fan with a temp control to switch it on and off.

Joe.

[jeep97tj]

Joe do u still run a thermostat? is the stock water pump still on the engine?

[murcod]

got a ewp running from start up. its grear for bush and crawling.

highly reccomend it without a controller unit, just a thermo fan with a temp control to switch it on and off.

Joe.

Where have you got the thermal switch- somewhere in the block water jacket I'd imagine would be the only place suitable? Or in the top radiator piping close to the engine and allow convection to get the hot coolant to it??

[roverlux]

no. you dont use a thermostat with an EWP. i have removed the water pump impeller and welsh plugged it. dont fu*k around with the controller unit. full power all the time. use a thermo controlled electric fan to keep temp.

Joe.

[roverlux]

yeah, probe in the top radiator hose. use 2 hose clamps and silicone to seal it good where it runs into the radiator.

Joe.

[murcod]

So you've got your electric pump running full time with no thermostat? I guess it would depend on the vehicle, but don't you have issues with it not warming up on cold days?

I've got no themostat in mine currently (for fault finding purposes) and run an eletric thermo. It takes ages to warm up, in fact won't on cold mornings, but my overheating issues seem to be better. Looks like it may not be my pump afterall....

[heathgu]

I has the electric water pump and ewp controller on my nissan patrol ute. And it would run to cold even on the hottest setting.

So i removed the controller and put the thermostat back in and had not dramas since. I just run the pump flat out and the thermostat does the rest.

Cheers Heath.

[murcod]

I just run the pump flat out and the thermostat does the rest.

So the pump's running whenever the ignition is on? How long have you been running it like that?

[roverlux]

i think that is a bad thing?

Have no problems with cold mornings, i just let it idle for a couple of mins first. not fool injected, carb.

Joe.

[murcod]

Yes, I read somewhere that the pump shouldn't be run full time as it will shorten it's life?

[murcod]

I was just having a think about the EWP and using a normal thermostat:

The EWP is installed into either the top or bottom radiator hose, and the thermostat usually blocks off one of these.... Therefore if you've got the EWP running full time it will be trying to pump against the closed thermostat until it starts to open. I wonder what effect that could have on pump life?

A standard engine driven pump is usually mounted onto the block and works differently as it will circulate water inside the block until the thermostat opens.

[roverlux]

that right. you should not use a thermostat with the ewp at all davies craig say.

damages the motor.

Joe.

[heathgu]

I do not have the electric temp controller any more because it is crap and does not work properly. Made the engine run to cold all the time.

I just run the pump flat out have been for 12 months no dramas.

If you read the instuctions you can with a 5mm hole drilled in the thermostat.

Cheers Heath.

[murcod]

Ahh... that makes more sense. Thanks Heath.

[roverlux]

aaah..... instructions, i dont read them!!!!!

Joe.