Crazy LT1 waterpump idea, Shoehorning an LT1 into a 914! Options

[bondo]

As some of you already know, I'm doing a V8 conversion in my 914 with an LT1 from a 1993 firebird. The cam driven waterpump sticks out the front and gets in the way in a big way. In order to avoid extreme firewall modifications, I came up with a crazy idea... I'll install an electric waterpump kit in the stock waterpump housing... and mount the sucker up by the radiator! It will require a couple of custom flanges, and a couple hose "Ys" but it should work.. with one possible exception. The thermostat is in the water pump, and it's a fancy bypass thermostat. instead of blocking the water until it warms up, it bypasses the radiator until it warms up, and once it warms up it closes the bypass and opens the radiator. I'm worried that the engine may overheat before the thermostat has a chance to open, because it's farther away and will react later than usual. Has anyone ever done anything even remotely like this? Am I nuts?

--Royce

[BIGKAT_83]

I plan to turn the intake around and put the air cleaner in the trunk. I drive with my seat all the way back, so I really don't want to mess with the firewall at all. The optispark will fit into the depression in the firewall, but the waterpump is much too wide. The inline thermostat sounds appealing, but I don't know if the reverse cooling setup would be 100% compatible with it.

--Royce

Royce
I didn't know that you could turn the intake around on the LT1. There must be some mods you are doing to it. The front and rear intake seals are very different. I've seen some LT1 intakes with mods to take a standard SBC distributor. If they can do this, that means the block is cast the same as a older SBC.

Do you plan to use the stock large harmonic balancer and is there room.

Weiand the intake manufacter makes a remote thermostat housing . They use it on some of there supercharger intakes. You should check this out.