@bosswrench posted:There actually once was a 'shorty' Ford water pump made for V-8 street rods. It's for a 351-W but can be made to fit a Cleveland without welding. It's 1-1/2" shorter, cast by wholesale supplier Buddy Bar in Southgate, CA that sand-casts up stuff like this but doesn't sell to the public. This pump is no longer sold new by Ford. You might get lucky at a swap meet. I have one on my Fontana block.
The stock water pump IS the problem with creating a flat engine cover. The other pulleys are child's play by comparison.
I had only read about the low profile water pump and by the time I went to work on this project seriously, it was only a legend with no direct evidence it had ever existed.
A low profile "Cleveland" pump will absolutely fix this issue in an instant.
If you look at the pictures of my panels, the two small panels, the round one out most an the slightly larger oblong one directly beneath it, total 1-1/2" in height combined and are bridging the water pump projection.
A water pump as you say, 1-1/2" lower positively eliminates the necessity for those two and would provide a much more pleasing aesthetic solution.
I would not be shocked if someone like Randy Gillis told me that he had seen one and it existed because of the Ford Indy Racing program like the aluminum Cleveland blocks did?
The problem there is that in some cases there are only a few that were ever made and never got past the initial testing part where they could be offered to even a limited market like the "racing crowd".
If Detomaso couldn't get access to them even when needing 7,000 Cleveland engines, there "ain't no way I'm gonna' get one either?"
Although I DID come across this in a Google search.
https://www.ford.com/product/3...ter-pump-p2740727909
You have reopened this subject again Boss Wrench. Now I need to figure how this fits? Marlin? You game to see how it fits?
Ford ran off special engines for Shelby and he didn't need anywhere near 7,000 special engines built? I suppose it depends on who you know and how you are viewed at Ford?
I'm still surprised at the friction Detomaso had with Ford during this period. It makes little sense. Either you are an insider or an outsider?
