Water Pump: Electric or Mechanical?

[patmckinneyracing]

Plan on replacing my stock water pump over to either an electric or mechanical aluminum. My plan for the car is seeing plenty of street, with autocross and drag some weekends. I will be using a Ford Thunderbird electric fan.

My big concern is I read somewhere that an electric pump does not work well on regular street driving when compared to a mechanical pump. Is this true and what are the cooling differences between the two?

Last thing I want to ask is how do you mount an alternator on a sbc when your running an electric pump?

 

[chevy2480]

On street use the electric will not circulate water fast enough to cool motor when going a constant speed electric is more fore constant flow, While mechanical will flow more as the rpm increase. If you use electric you drive the alternator buy the crank pulley.

 

[TURNA]

mechanical aluminum only way to go for street

 

[chevy2480]

mechanical aluminum only way to go for street

agreed

 

[megaladon6]

there is one other option. there is a good electric water pump out there--it's pulse width driven so it does vary with RPM. of course it's expensive as all hell!
but i'd just stick with mechanical. there's no real advantage to electric on the street.