Get Effective Engine Cooling with a Pontiac Water Pump

A pump is a device designed to move liquids or slurries from lower pressure to a higher pressure. It works by using mechanical forces to push the material, either by physically lifting, or by the force of compression. Pumps generally fall in two major categories: the rotodynamic pumps and positive displacement pumps. The categories are based on the method for moving fluid. Rotodynamics pumps are based on bladed impellors which rotate within the fluid and serves to convert the increase in the energy of the fluid into pressure energy for an associated piping system. A positive displacement pump causes a liquid to move by trapping an amount and displacing it into a discharge pipe.

The Pontiac Water Pump is a simple centrifugal pump and an important component of the cooling system. It is a small-impeller pump responsible for circulating the coolant through the engines cooling system whenever the engine is running. It is mounted on the engine and is driven by the fan belt, alternator belt or sometimes the timing belt connected to the crankshaft of the engine. Centrifugal pumps are rotodynamic pumps which convert mechanical energy into hydraulic energy by centripetal force meaning acting perpendicular to the direction of the motion of the body) on the liquid. Most water pumps are centrifugal pumps consisting of inlets, outlets, housing, a shaft, a rotating impeller, a volute and sometimes a shroud. The Pontiac Water Pump uses centrifugal pump to send fluid to the outside while it spins which causes the fluid to be drawn from the center continuously. Located near the center is the inlet to the pump which allows the fluid returning from the radiator to hit the pump vanes. These pump vanes then throw the fluid to the outside of the pump where it can enter the engine. A pulley is mounted on the shaft on the outer side while on the inner side the impeller that acts like a centrifugal pump as well as the seal to keep the coolant from leaking out are located. The coolant is moved by the Pontiac Water Pump through the water jackets into the engine cylinder block then to the cylinder head and into the radiator and finally back to the pump. This is the process that removes the heat from the engine by removing the heat from the coolant before it goes back to the engine.

There are different designs of water pumps depending on their purpose. The rotating impeller which is responsible for transmitting the coolant is the commonly installed water pump. Rear wheel drive cars often have the fan installed on the end of the water pump shaft. To prevent leakage around the pump shaft, these water pumps usually have spring-loaded seal. There are also water pumps that have pre-packed ball bearings at each end so lubrication will not be necessary. Pumps also wear internally depending on the liquid being pumped, materials used for construction and the operating regimen. Common problems of a Pontiac Water Pump are coolant leaks, noisy or defective bearing and damaged or corroded impeller. Faulty Pontiac Water Pump can cause the engine to overheat causing graver damage to the engine itself.