old style water pump - vortec and by pass

[Vodka0tter]

Truck is a '97 with a 5.7 stroked to 383. Making some changes to the top end which also included some dress up items. I removed the A/C and went with a March accessory bracket kit. Also have a polished old school SBC water pump I am installing. The rotation is clockwise so it matched the rotation of the new brackets/crank pulley. Yes I know I need to shim the pump pulley.

So the SBC pump has the third hole by pass. My block has no third hole. I can tap one in the pump and install a fitting to the intake if needed but I have read the heater core can act as a bypass as well. Any thoughts or input on a by pass set up?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[RichLo]

Are you talking about the pipe fitting on the top of the WP that normally goes to the intake manifold? you can get a taller t-stat housing if the manifold doesn't have a hole for it.

 

[Vodka0tter]

yes. I am running a pro flow intake so no room for a tall water neck there. The intake has a bypass mount. The problem is the pump. It is designed for the third hole in the block, no external bypass fitting.

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[c1500deathtrap]

Yeah plumb it up to the inlet side of the water pump. Either get a pump with provisions for this of drill and tap it yourself.You can run it from the intake to the radiator but that is the same thing as running with a thermostat thats got holes in it. I route mine through the heater core. Only downside being in the summer your heater core under the dash is hot as hell. but i get heat very quickly in the winter

 

[Schurkey]

I'm using a Vortec block to replace an older TBI engine. I will use the older TBI water pump along with the entire accessory-drive system, the water pump has the 3/8 bypass hole on one side.

I popped a hole in the block in the correct location to match the water pump hole. Used a water pump gasket as a template for hole location. A 1/8" drill bit for a pilot hole, and then a 3/8 drill bit to open it up.

Simple, easy.