ALPHA SS water pump (removal) will it work?

[Lenny]

Folks, in a simplification exercise and wanting to convert a 350 MAG (LE boat) to a crossover only and a drilled thermostat, my question is, do you think that the stock ALPHA SS leg waterpump will support water flow adequately to keep the block and SSM happy, cool and full? Or, do you think I need to add a raw water pump?
It seems to me that all the stock water pump is doing is slowing water down and balancing "sides" so in that respect, obviously the stock drive pump is doing the job. So do you think I can throw the block mounted water pump in the can and go with the crossover? Buizilla raised this point to me the other day and since I am "doing this" I had better do it right.

And, if you do say "get a crank mounted raw water pump, do I remove the pump in the SS and just use it as a "pick-up"
Thanx in advance.

[gcarter]

Add a transom pickup and a raw water pump.

[mrfixxall]

you can use the existing waterpump in the drive and will supply enough water to cool the engine.when you toss the circulation pump on the engine and this is a good cooling tip!!!!! install a 90 deg cooling barbed fitting in the back of the intake where the coolent passage comes out of the head and put a rubber coolent hose on it and run it to the front of the intake where the front coolent passage is in the intake. this will free up the heat that is trapped in the rear of the engine..if you have a raytech gun that reads temps you will notice the back of the engine runs 40 deg hotter then the front of the engine..

[MOP]

Do your self a big favor and dump the drive pump, leave it in place just remove the hose to the transom. Like George said go to a transom pickup and a block mounted pump, if you go to a crank mounted pump make sure you get the one for a SB the BB pump makes to much pressure which will get your head gaskets leaking. It is some nice being able to change the impeller in a block mount compared to a drive pump, while you are at it install a strainer especially useful in lakes and rivers as they seem to have a ton of green junk! The only time I pickup any junk is when I run in a fresh water event.

Phil

[BUIZILLA]

Whats wrong with using the water pickups in the SS, gutting the internal pump, and using a belt driven seawater pump? Several folks have done it with stock Alpha's... that's the way it was when I bought it... :lookaroun:

[VetteLT193]

Folks, in a simplification exercise and wanting to convert a 350 MAG (LE boat) to a crossover only and a drilled thermostat, my question is, do you think that the stock ALPHA SS leg waterpump will support water flow adequately to keep the block and SSM happy, cool and full? Or, do you think I need to add a raw water pump?
It seems to me that all the stock water pump is doing is slowing water down and balancing "sides" so in that respect, obviously the stock drive pump is doing the job. So do you think I can throw the block mounted water pump in the can and go with the crossover? Buizilla raised this point to me the other day and since I am "doing this" I had better do it right.
And, if you do say "get a crank mounted raw water pump, do I remove the pump in the SS and just use it as a "pick-up"
Thanx in advance.

I'm doing this with a regular Alpha. Did a bunch of research on it, it will be fine.

I had not seen mrfixxall's idea before, I'll probably do that too

[gcarter]

If you go w/a belt or crank driven sea water pump, leave everything in the drive pump except the impellor.

[MOP]

One of the biggest issues is the problematic hose from the gimble to the shield, the configuration on the Alpha sucks it is a "kink" waiting to happen. A transom pickup removes all the sweat of the hose failing, also by swapping over you gain volume.
How many time have guys with S/S headers and stock Alpha pumps noted how hot the pipes get due to the low volume coming from the stock pumps. By now all of us should have learned our lesson the Alpha pump is only slightly above marginal!

[mrfixxall]

I would rather pull the lower legg to replace the impeller then lein over and pull a sea pump off the engine to replace it..

the alpha hose wont kink,,its always under pressure from the seapump being in the lower unit forcing the water into the engine..:)

[gcarter]

I would rather pull the lower legg to replace the impeller then lein over and pull a sea pump off the engine to replace it..

the alpha hose wont kink,,its always under pressure from the seapump being in the lower unit forcing the water into the engine..:)

I'll second the puny Alpha pump. Where the water is always cold, there's not much of a problem, however here in the south where the water temp can get to 90*, there can be cases of the stock pump no longer pumping (impellor flex).
The easiest pump to work on is the crank driven pump.

[BigGrizzly]

Just leave it the way it is stock.:angel: