Thread: How to shorten a small block Ford.

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Mike, I considered the same possibility but the pumps seem to be not the problem availability wise. I think they are actually from an Explorer or something similar. The timing covers and pulleys seem to be the discontinued items.

Richard, I did consider the Snow White setup but it uses something like an Opel water pump I think and I had concerns about how much water flow it had. I could be stone wrong on that concern, but I also wanted to try the Ford setup just because it was Ford.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Mike, I considered the same possibility but the pumps seem to be not the problem availability wise. I think they are actually from an Explorer or something similar. The timing covers and pulleys seem to be the discontinued items.

Richard, I did consider the Snow White setup but it uses something like an Opel water pump I think and I had concerns about how much water flow it had. I could be stone wrong on that concern, but I also wanted to try the Ford setup just because it was Ford.

Don

Don,
Just curious what you heve planned to do with the heater inlet and outlet on the water pump. I have basically the same water pump setup on a 5.0 motor I have installed in my 32. I will not be using a heater so I am trying to come up with a clever way to eleminate the pressed in steel tubes. My first thought was to remove the tubes and pipe tap the holes in the housing for pipe plugs but when measuring the diameters of the tubes the holes would have to be opened up and my concern was that there is not enough material left to tap. I have seen a length of hose formed in a U-shape clamped to the outlets but I don't care for the looks of that. I have toyed with the ides of cutting the tubes so they stick out maybe 1/2", machine a plug and heli-ard the tubes shut. Any thoughts on what you might be doing?

I assume you will not be running a heater in southern Florida.

Also, we come to Marco Island in Jan & Feb, any car shows you could recommend in southern Florida?

Regards

If you are around in late February go to Billetproof in Ocala. It was held at Don Garlits place for the first two years but has outgrown it, so they are now holding it at the place shown in the flyer below.

As for the heater hose outlets, not sure yet. I may run some hoses from there to a remote radiator and fan in the rear. This thing always ran warm because of my 8.5 inch chopped 32 radiator. If the bigger electric fan and shroud I will build doesn't do it I might have to go to that arrangement. But I like your ideas of capping these off.

Don

Don thanks for the info! It's nice when someone like you paves the way for others with like ideas. I miss my 289/302 mustang, and hope one day to build a new one. I feel the same way about my 460 venture. Hard to find Ford parts to go with modified setups! I guess the journey makes the end all the more sweet!

I guess so Steve, but man are Chevys a lot easier to play with! Ford loves to change things just for the sake of changing them and you are never sure what parts are going to work with other parts. When I was helping Don figure out the pulleys on his T bucket we kept air freighting different ones in because no one at Summit, Jegs or March could tell us exactly what would work, it was all trial and error. Then there is that 28 oz and 50 oz imbalance thing and 157 vs 164 tooth flywheels.

Could be worse I guess, I could be playing with Hemis.

Don