Editors Note (Nov 2007) - FordMuscle is not aware if this product is still being produced. We do not endorse it at this time.

It is no secret that reducing the drag on the crankshaft increases horsepower. It takes power to drive accessories such as the alternator, powersteering and AC pump, and of course the biggest horsepower thief -the waterpump. It takes anywhere from 15-20% of an engines total horsepower to drive a stock waterpump at high engine speeds. Underdrive pullies, while they may free up some power by slowing down these crank driven accessories, can create cooling problems at low speeds. Unfortunately the output of a waterpump, like a stock belt driven fan, cannot be regulated. Therefore at low rpms, such as idling in traffic, when you need maximum cooling a stock waterpump is moving the least amount of water.

The ideal situation would be a pump which not only maintains a optimum engine temperature, but frees up horsepower. Drag racers have successfully used electric waterpumps in competition, but because of their design they are not meant to be driven continuously or on the street, meaning the power benefit can only be realized at the track. This got us interested in searching for an electric water pump that could be used for everyday driving. We came across the EWP (Electric Water Pump) by Davies,Craig, an Austrailia-based company. Davies,Craig has developed a compact, lightweight, universal electric waterpump. It simply mounts in the lower radiator hose and uses 12V (only 7.5 amp draw!) to move coolant throughout the engine and radiator. The pump can be used in several ways; activate it with a toggle or thermostatic switch to have it assist your stock water pump when temperatures get too hot, or you can have the entire cooling system electronically controlled using their EWP Controller, a dash-mounted module which maintains engine temperature by controlling the flow-rate of the pump. Using the Controller requires removing the stock thermostat and disabling the stock waterpump (either bypass with a short-belt, or remove the impeller.)

There are several advantages to the EWP. First of all the EWP moves water at nearly 1300 gallons per hour at full 12V. This means at idle it is moving the maximum amount of coolant to keep the engine from overheating. In contrast, stock waterpumps move only 300-600 gallons per hour at idle, which is why you see the temp. gauge go up when sitting at a red-light on a hot day. Furthermore, the EWP can continue to run when the engine is off. In racing applications this helps to cool the car quicker between rounds. For vehicles equipped with turbochargers, the EWP can continue to cool the turbo, preventing oil cooking and galling of the bearings.

Of course the benefit that we're all after is horsepower. We've actually experimented with bypassing the stock waterpump on both our '88 LX car and our Project FE (1969 Mach 1) and in both cases the cars shaved a consistent two-tenths off their 1/4-mile ET's. This would equate to roughly a thirty horsepower gain!
EFI cars respond especially well to cooler engine temperatures, which is why so many tuners recommend a 160°F thermostat rather than the stock 180°F or 190°F unit. Using the EWP Controller gives you the ability to adjust engine temperature based on your needs -hotter for greater fuel economy and reduced emissions, and cooler for increased power.

We decided to order up the EWP and Controller and install it in our '67 Mustang (Project 11.99). The installation is very straight forward due to the well designed kit, which includes color-coded wiring harnesses and detailed instructions. We had the system installed and running in less than four hours, including a trip to the parts store and lunch! The kits universal design means you can swap the pump into any other vehicle you might own.

On the street the EWP Controller kept our car at a constant 170 degrees (based on our adjustment of the module). With the stock belt-driven pump we'd experience a range from 160-190 degrees depending on how fast the engine was spinning -the slower we drove, the warmer it ran.

The power increase is very noticeable. Throttle response is 'snappier' and acceleration from 3000 rpm and up has definitely improved. We'll have an update on exactly how the '67 fared at the track with the EWP, in the next Project 11.99 article.