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Old 03-12-2013, 08:17 PM   #33 (permalink)
some_other_dave
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nerys View Post
electric motors DESIGNED right are extremely reliable.
True, but electrical connections and components multiply the number of failure points, and anything that moves or vibrates is liable to problems from that (e.g., fatigue). There is pretty much just one failure point for the drive on a conventional water pump--the belt. There can be quite a few for an electrical pump; every connection, the relays, the switches (if any), whatever controls you have on the system, etc.

You won't damage the engine if you notice that the pump is no longer working. Most people (including me!) are going to miss that for a while at least. So you need to rig up some sort of very unambiguous signal, like a loud chime or a big light, when the temp gets to a certain point. If you rely on a gauge, the one time you will need to pay attention to it you will miss it. (Murphy's law.)

An electric pump could be a win, but you would need to make the system at least somewhat fail-safe. And you'd need to pay close attention to the design and fabrication of the electrics.

IMHO.

-soD
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