Waterpump kit

I’m rebuilding my newly renovated TwinCam (701 engine, for 1971 +2S) from the original ‘inhouse’ waterpump, to the more up-to-date modern pump design.
Need therefor the complete rebuild kit, incl new front cover etc.

But, it seems that this kit is obsolate, and a new production series will not be available until mid-July.
Add two weeks for shipping and VAT-registration, then summer is close to over until I get the pump kit.

I’ve checked the normal vendors, Sue Miller, Burton, SJ Sportscars…
Is there any other forgotten vendor - small or big, that might have this kit available in stock today, ready for shipping as I write???

Hi Bjorn

Just to clarify, are you saying that you have somthing other than the standard Twin Cam waterpump set up on your engine?

Regards
Andy

Not yet, but I will fit a new waterpump, the ‘modern day’ waterpump, that can be changed without splittingh the engine. Just like any other modern car.
Kits for this is normally available from vendors like Burtopn, SJ Sportscars and Sue Miller - but for some reason they are all out of stock now…

Dave Bean in the USA and The Elan Factory in Australia also do a replacement cartridge style kit and may have them available in stock

regards
Rohan

Elan Factory will also do traditional overhaul kit if asked

Bjorn, are Burton’s redesigning their cartridge front cover, or just waiting for a batch to be manufactured. A month’s wait should be worth it in the long run. It’s a good design, cartridge is easy to remove. Inside the cartridge, the pump guts are just normal “twincam” hardware.
If you really want to update and eliminate the waterpump maintenance issues, have you considered the Craig Davies electric pump?

Regards

Gerry

Just waiting for a new batch to be manufactured.

And no, I haven’t considered an electrical pump, I haven’t even thought of that. What’s the benefits?
Any linkes?

I just ordered a burton one today. They were waiting for modules, thats all.

cheers
Mark

Bjorn, suggest starting place re users’ good experience with the Craig Davies water pump is this forum itself. Burtons sell them, and the electronic controller.

Regards

Gerry

Davies Craig posts on LotusElan.net

google.com/search?hl=en&num= … f&oq=&aqi=

David
1968 36/7988

Bjorn et al:

I got the Burton one a while ago. Was the same deal; the front plate & gaskets were available within about a week, but ended up waiting quite a while for the cartridge (three months or so?). I got two of the cartridges shipped, as they show them in the on-line catalog as a special order item and figured one on the shelf was the way to go.

Ken from Bean’s phoned about a month ago as they finally had theirs in stock after really long wait (year and a half I think!). I didn’t take mine as had the Burton one already. They may have some on the shelves now if you are in a hurry.

Last December I was trying to get one from Steve at Elan Factory. It was sort of the same deal as Burton; could supply front plate but was waiting on cartridges.

Expect the cartridge portion is a standard Ford part or some such that they get from conventional suppliers, and they make them in batches or whatever? Don’t know if they all use the same one.

Can’t speak to relative plus & minus of the different suppliers, but the Burton one looks really good. Agree electric option looks pretty good though, particularly if you want to get on with the job.

HTH

I have to replace my original WP as well. I know the bearing fit in the cover is completely knackered and the seal area is pretty corroded from the last time I rebuilt it 12 years ago.

I have talked with several suppliers. Ken advised the Bean pump uses an Esprit WP kit instead of the original twincam/cortina kit. The bearing is larger than the original.

None of these kits are inexpensive, but it sure beats pulling the engine and splitting it for a leaky pump.

As far as ease of replacement however, the original WP is far easier and more straightforward than replacing the WP on a Gen2 Toyota MR2 Turbo!

The front cover for the catridge units is only a minor modification from the orginal front cover casting - I have cartridge units in 2 of my engines (the one in the plus 2 and one of my spare race engines). Both were made by machining the original housing many years ago before people started casting new front covers, but easier to start with new purpose designed casting as machining the orignal front covers tricky if a lot of corrossion in them.

The cartridge unit are machined from an aluminium billet typically to bolt into the housing and block using the orginal 3 bolts around the original pump. again easy enough for a machine shop to make from a relatively simple drawing.

I guess the suppliers keep a stock of front covers that can be machined for either the original or cartridge units as needd but only get the cartridge units made in small production runs so you have to wait if they are out of stock until they do a new run. Just lucky we have 3 independent people doing it around the world so generally one at least has some in stock.

Typically the suppliers use the larger bearing for the pump that was used on later kent block fords (and the same unit on the Lotus 9xx engine). This larger bearing can be fitted by boring out the original housing for a non cartirdge style installation also if enough metal and not to much corrossion allows it.

cheers
Rohan

It turns out that the Lotus Cortina Centre can help me.
Just a final check to ensure me to place an order for the right kit (there are two kits, one for the older (lower) engine, and one for the newer, like mine (which is app 1/2" higher for some reason).

Bj?rn Anders, be sure you don’t order the wrong one…As I can remember, you have the 701 block, which is std., and not the taller 711.
Make sure before you order .

Dag

I would order some spares in case the pump suppler goes bust this has happend already with an early type .
Neil

And in the end, it turns out that the help is found locally :smiley:

Thanks to Dag Henning, I phoned Mathis - a famous norwegian motorsport name.
And; he had the kit I was looking for, ready to be fitted to my 701 engine (Yes DH, it’s a 701, the ‘low’ one).

Waterpump kit will be picked up by my mechanic tonight, and hopefully (… times take time) fitted to the engine by the end of the week. This means I can fit the engine to the car next week, just befor going on a short holiday (no, not with the Elan, unfortunately :sunglasses: )