Curiosity overwhelms me. When and why did Chevy go to the long water pump? I thought it was '69. Why?
Yes, it was 1969, but not on trucks or Corvettes. Maybe they had room because the front of cars were getting longer? and it made mounting the power steering pump, AC compressor, and the alternator easier, as they could tuck closer to the engine. But that's just a guess.
Hoods were getting longer and radiators were so much farther away? Plus like Squirrel said, more accessories? Look how far the rad was on the Monte Carlos....long fan shrouds!
Seems Squirrel is on to something here..I remember the 70 Monte Carlo radiator should was about a foot long....I always set my engines way back..one..easier to source long pump and better front to rear weight distribution...
I go along with better mounting of accessories never liked the exhaust alternator mount. But even my 64 had a cat killer fan shroud. When it was cold the famly cats would crawl in the fan shroud next to the warm radiator you start the car and the only way out was through the fan.
I don't wave the traditional flag much but I agree with the finkster, when I see a long water pump or accessory bolt cylinder heads on a "so called" traditional car I tend to throw up in my mouth a little, but this is usually if I've already seen the outside of the car and liked it. I guess it's good that there isnt a "guy puking" icon. Sorry
I'll go along with Squirrel as it was being done to accommodate accessories with lower hood lines. Longer hood lines, engine locations and radiator locations set the shroud length and fan location to get proper cooling as well. Traditional? I'll let others decide that. My truck will have one to get the fan closer to the radiator core and allow alternator mounting in a more compact area and not hanging way up high or way out to the side.
My n My former neighbor ('Dumb Ronnie') had a Firebird that ate cats...Instead of honking the horn before he started the engine, he'd listen for the "Bump!"...Raarrrow!" ...dead kitty. Did it 3 times before he'd take advice and honk! One morning I heard the 'honk', and just looked out, Ronnie had the hood open and was lifting out this striped kitten. He walked right around the end of the fence, and up to me..."Mike, please take this kitten...It's the LAST one, I don't want to kill any more cats!" Gray and black stripes...nice little cat, I named him Louie. The dogs liked him. Wife was crazy about him. Louie lived to be 7 'people years', one day he just came up on the front porch and went to sleep. Good night, Louie... At least the fan didn't getcha...
LOL on my Crosley I am painting Chevy 331 cubic inch on the cowl/hood side (wherever I think it looks best) no matter what is under the bonnet. Here is my take on it. There are a handful of guys on here that actually know what they are looking at and have a deeply rooted handle on Traditional. They usually are really tolerant of cars unless they run onto one that is really screwed up. The rest of 'em are just parrots.
if you can tell the year of manufacture or cubic inches from looking under the hood of a car you are a better man than I.
the 55 to late 60's cars for the most part had acres of room around the engine to the sides. You could hang the generator off the manifold or later an alternator and still have room around it. Power steeing pumps bolted to the front of the block most of the time. If it had AC the Compressor hung off the right manifold right in the big middle of the way of the guy trying to align the front end. Then they started building cars with narrower engine compartments and accessories were the norm rather than the exception.
I'm the opposite, I like to run a long pump, when you're in bumfuck nowhere, mid desert, in the mountains, actually the type that drives the wreck you built, a long pump is good. Any wrecked chevy sitting anywhere, can donate to get you home. I build all my stuff in case of a break down, available stock shelf type parts get you running instead of waiting.
Intake has nothing to do with it...The road draft tube wasn't connected to the intake, the provision for it was cast into the block casting next to/slightly behind the distributor....hole in front of intake was just an oil fill tube, some have a breather and some have a twist-in cap.....
The I've never seen a intake that covered the road draft hole.The vertical rib above the right water pump hole disappeared around 65-66 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevy-Orig...ine-Block-030-B-11-64-1964-1967-/201694456995
The Jalopy Journal
