Hi
Finished my fuel system and noticed:
My water pump is leaking... wondering is it worth looking for a bigger badder pump.. read about one that pumps 30% more water
Personally i feel that parts store pumps are garbage. I bought a pump about 8 years ago from the DEALER because i was tired of pump problems. This "DEALER" pump had been on a HCI 302 that i used to spin to damn near 7000rpm, overheated the motor a couple of times. Then i built my 351 based 383 stroker and used the SAME pump!!! My temp stays steady and never moves.
Long story short, save your money unless you want to go exotic on a electric pump. Parts store pumps can sometimes be crap. If you have to buy i recommend a nice OEM one.
So, what would be the gain from something other than a replacement pump?
Does your car run hot?
When does it run hot?
Have you tried to reduce temps with other more 'ordinary' methods?
If it doesn't run hot, why spend the money to upgrade to a fancy pump?
The replacement pump is aluminum, so there is no weight gain as if it were iron...
More water flow MUST equal more parasitic power loss to the water pump.
Same as high flow oil pumps and high output alternators causing additional power loss.
Do you run underdrive pulleys?
If so, a high flow water pump would be negating the gain of slowing the regular pump, but if it is running hot, a change to either a high flow pump or stock pulley would be the way to go. (Assuming you have tried all the other easier mods)
I am not answering your question, just giving food for thought.
Dave
Edit:
I was undecided until after reading my own post.
I would go with a standard replacement...
I'm running a FlowKooler high flow. It made a small difference when I put it in, but not as much as the high flow thermostat. I got it through Summit, and it's a quality piece with a lifetime warranty. I had my first one for about 8 years before it went bad. I've had the new one in for about a year now, which of course, I didn't pay for.
Most of the bad reputation auto parts store pumps get is from the old rebuilt days. When we switched from selling rebuilt water pumps to new water pumps at Advance, we stopped getting pumps back. I'm pretty sure I never got a new water pump returned defective at Advance.
You can also get a stock pump, and do a high flow conversion on it, but I don't think it's worth it. If you really want a high flow, then get the FlowKooler. I posted a warning thread awhile back. The Stewart pump is not a high flow, just a stock replacement.