Attn:Mark-Philip.Sprintparts_Alloy pump impeller

[oldred]

Have you guys made any progress with the ally water pump impellers?

I know you have had your hands full recently, While I am on the subject, I am really sorry to hear of the accident . It looks a bad one, just glad nobody was hurt. I like many other people follow your exploits from afar and think what you lads achieve is fantastic and your enthusiasm is infectious even half way around the globe! Chin up you two.

oldred

[JonyPI]

ok may be just me here, but i dont quite understand the point of an ally water pump, you could get an electric one for just as much if not cheaper and is also very light and gives more benifits? just my 2pence worth anyway?

[SPRINTPARTS]

Hi Oldred,
The alloy impellor project has stalled. The prototype has been in Mark's road Sprint for some time without a drama. The stall point is getting the foundry to cast the impellors for us- we have been waiting for months.

We will chase them again. We have a number of people chasing impellors.

Sometimes there is just not enough hours in the month to work 50 hours a week in the job that actually pays a salary, Sprintparts, maintain a home and keep the better half on side sufficiently to get fed and be allowed to go racing!!!!

Philip

[SPRINTPARTS]

As a follow on from the above reply.

The idea of our (SPRINTPARTS) impellors was to offer a new 12 vane impellor for people with damaged (often broken during water pump strip down) or worn impellors. To the best of our knowledge the 12 vane impellor has never been offered as a service part, you could only buy one as a complete pump assembly. We have had our own pattern made and had a couple of protoypes cast in both bronze and aluminium alloy. The bronze castings are proving difficult in getting a good finish, due to the high temp that the bronze needs to be taken to to acheive good flow of the molten metal. The bronze impellor is also very, very heavy.

I have been using an aluminium impellor for over 12 months in my road car with no problems at all. It is a lot lighter than the original cast iron impellor (less flywheel effect on the jackshaft) not brittle like the cast iron and highly resistant to corrosion.

Believe it or not, (I have said this before) I was at the foundry last week. The "man" has decided to change the way that he is going to cast them to speed up the process and was suppose to be casting around 100 this week. I have not had time to check, been to work all week plus there is a bit of panel work to do to the race car, but will contact him again to find out what is happening, but based on prevoius experience please don't hold your breath.

Mark

[Hans ten Broeke]

Mark,

How does the aluminium cope with the carbon seal?
Did you check the surface, how did it look, not leaking is just a part of it in the long term

Hans

[SPRINTPARTS]

Hi Hans,

After more than 15,000km there is only what I would call mininal/insignificant wear. Unfortuantely I don't have the technical specs of the material at hand, I will need to get it from the foundry, but is is by no means a normal aluminium, as the the foundry always refers to it as "Mag" due to the Magnesium content.

Maybe there might be some light at the end of the tunnel, as I spoke to the foundry today and they assured me that they were casting some as we spoke. Of course the next delay will be getting the machining done!

Mark

[oldred]

Hi Mark/Philip,
A bit of panel work! It's good you can jest about such things.

Don't worry I do understand that there is 'lag' in these projects especially when as you say that we all need to work 40-50 hr weeks and keep our good ladies happy. Oh and rely on all sorts of other people ( foundry man in this case)in the process.
I Think you are right I have never seen 12 vanes or 6 for that matter available to buy on their own. Which is exactly the reason why these could be a good seller for you , I hope, as you will be needing a financial boost at the moment, eh?!
Also the as you point out with the mass being less (alloy) there is less inertia ,every little helps.
Hans, as long as the material is not a 'raw' aluminium and has been alloyed with something to harden the material ,we're sweet.

oldred.

[oldred]

Yeah , sorry just read the previous thread!
From what I remember from Eng. college, adding magnesium does increase the material hardness quite a lot , obviously it depends on the amount and quantity of other elements as well. I cannot remember the series number of this category of alloy but it can work harden as well as being hardened by dipping.

oldred

[JonyPI]

btw iv been wondering this recently, in the back of my sprint, i have a very old sticker, for who? sprintparts! with the slogen 'who else', is it the same guy and youve emigrated or totaly different?

[Sprint36]

Jony,

I think you're getting confused with Sprintspares aren't you?

David

[JonyPI]

yup i am hehe i didnt think itd be the same somehow lol

[Hans ten Broeke]

Sprintspares was owned by Jamie Weidner and settled in Rayleigh
Jamie Weidner is a good personal friend of us, and he was THE guru in this field.
Jamie and Rosie live now in France and are not longer involved in the Sprints.

Hans