MG Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" and Costello V8s

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TC
Thomas Canty

(14 posts)

Registered:
04/25/2017 02:02PM

Main British Car:


Ford 5.0 in an MGA, water pump choice help needed.
Posted by: TC
Date: May 28, 2017 02:58PM

Almost have the frame reinforced and ready to drop the engine/trans into it. I know that some of you here have transplanted the Ford 5.0 into the MGB and even the MGA and I have a question regarding the water pumps used.

My engine is a 5.0 out of my '85 Mustang GT, it has a reverse rotation water pump. I've removed the power steering pump, idler, air conditioner, emissions pump and such, getting it down to just the crank, alternator and water pump pulleys. The problem is in the reverse rotation water pump.

I'd read or heard that an '85 clock-wise rotation water pump from the 5.0 Crown Vic engine will fit the '85 Mustang 5.0 timing cover. The two water ports will line up and the pump housing is almost an exact match. There's also a question of the Crown Vic water pump pulley hitting the Mustang crank pulley, but this might be a good time to convert to a V-Belt pulley drive and better mimic the Ford 289 engine. More of a "period" look to the transplant, better suited to the MGA.

Of course I'm wondering if anyone has heard of this, done this, or has a proven alternative clock-wise water pump suggestion for the 5.0.

Thanks for any help, options/suggestions. confirmation, info that you might have !


ex-tyke
Graham Creswick
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
(1165 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:17AM

Main British Car:
1976 MGB Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Ford 5.0 in an MGA, water pump choice help needed.
Posted by: ex-tyke
Date: May 29, 2017 08:50AM

For clockwise rotation, most folks use the Ford Racing M-8501-E351S Short V-Belt drive water pump - must be mated to a compatible front cover with the correct WP porting....inlet is on the driver side.
Here's one example.
[www.ebay.com]


TC
Thomas Canty

(14 posts)

Registered:
04/25/2017 02:02PM

Main British Car:


Re: Ford 5.0 in an MGA, water pump choice help needed.
Posted by: TC
Date: May 29, 2017 02:02PM

"must be mated to a compatible front cover with the correct WP porting....inlet is on the driver side."

Wouldn't happen to know what timing cover works with it, would you?

I've looked at a couple of timing covers for sale on-line but not sure what I was looking for.

Seems like this modification (new pump and timing cover, gaskets, bolts, etc.) will almost come to what I paid for the whole car . . .

Again, at the deep end of the pool already so no bailing out, but gotta wonder why Ford would make SO many changes to an engine already carved in stone. Why so many different timing covers and water pumps when a simple casting alteration to the original cover would have been fine. Eliminate the opening for the mechanical fuel pump, BANG ! All new timing cover and necessary water pump. Lose the dip stick hole, BOOM ! Another timing cover change and water pump. If Quality is Job One, consistency isn't even in the job description.

Sometime, just sometimes, it makes me long for the thirty-plus year unchanged simplicity of the SBC . . .


ex-tyke
Graham Creswick
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
(1165 posts)

Registered:
10/25/2007 11:17AM

Main British Car:
1976 MGB Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Ford 5.0 in an MGA, water pump choice help needed.
Posted by: ex-tyke
Date: May 31, 2017 05:09PM

Quote:
Wouldn't happen to know what timing cover works with it, would you?

Difference between std and reverse rotation ports in the front cover as shown - basically ports are 90 degrees rotated from each other. As you've noted, there are many front covers with varying optional features - many can be used in your application, but ensure WP ports are correct.

Ford WP port orientation.JPG


TC
Thomas Canty

(14 posts)

Registered:
04/25/2017 02:02PM

Main British Car:


Re: Ford 5.0 in an MGA, water pump choice help needed.
Posted by: TC
Date: June 03, 2017 01:37AM

I just read a thread on another forum covering this water pump swap and a couple of the posters were insisting that the water pumps fitted to the mid-eighties Mustangs were "universal" in that they could be rotated in either direction successfully.

I've open up the pump that came off of the '85 Mustang and it definitely NOT "universal !"

Just WAY to much misinformation being posted everywhere about this subject. I'm going to keep the reverse rotation pimp setup rather than risk the engine on some idiot's opinion. Serves me right, should have realized that this was, after all, the internet.

Ever notice that most of the posts occur during the afternoon when the Junior High Schools have computer lab classes . . . ?

Thanks all for the help—I think that keeping the factory pump and pulleys will save me a lot of trouble even if it WILL look a bit too modern and out of place on an engine going into an MGA.


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