Dakota Water Pump for L-Bodies with Common Block!

[Turbo SOB]

I have been one of the many people who put a common block motor into an L-body, including a TIII. One of the issues to overcome is the common block water pump inlet orientation. It points forward at a 45° angle which points the rad hose into the "Shelby" bracket in the lower passenger side corner of the engine bay. What I did to combat this was to use the older non-common block water pump with the downward pointing inlet, and just bash the oil pan lip to make it fit.

I just noticed this -> The older Dodge Dakotas with the 2.5L engine have the newer style water pump with the reverse spinning pulley but have a unique, downward pointing inlet on the housing. Housing part number is 4448743.

I lifted these pictures off of e-Bay.

Dakota (left) / Normal (right)





Has anyone ever seen this or tried using a Dakota pump on an L-body with a common block? Is this just common knowledge and I'm late to the party (again)???

Thanks,
Jeff

[johnl]

Great discovery, Jeff.

[GLHNSLHT2]

Older water pump is supposed to perform better though anyway. Less cavitation. And grinding 3 fins off of it gives you 3hp according to Ed Peters.

[Vigo]

That's pretty neat.

[going4speed]

great find. Tempted to add to the stash

[Turbo SOB]

I got one! Picked one up at U-PullandSave at lunch.



Maybe won't get a chance to get it in any time soon, but it was definitely worth the $6.75!!!

Ed Peters may have said the old ones are better for HP and racing, but I'm more worried about keeping it cool during the Woodward Dream Cruise with the A/C cranked. I want to try this because I don't like the idea of notching the oil pan. Either way, it's nice to see it EXISTS.

Later,
Jeff

[86Shelby]

I had great luck with the housing off a '90 Omni when I put a commonblock in my GLHT years back. It also had a more downward orientation like the Dakota housing you show.

[going4speed]

That would be the holy grail of water pump housing for common block swaps into L body as the 89 up omni's were common blocks. Finding one of those would be crazy difficult.

[Turbo SOB]

I had great luck with the housing off a '90 Omni when I put a commonblock in my GLHT years back. It also had a more downward orientation like the Dakota housing you show.

I would love to see pictures. I was under the impression that the common block l-body pumps were the same as all the others because in '89 and up there was no Shelby specific reinforcing bracket in that lower corner of the engine bay, which means that there is no interference to worry about.

[Dr. Johny Dodge]

ok , so dakota pump or 90 omni pump ... question is what about the heater hose - the one that either goes to the omni rad or the daytona water pump ?

does the dakota pump have the nipple for the heater hose or does the 90 omni one ??

"cause only one option is right depending on our individual cars - if there's one on our radiator , or not

pulling my daytona rad-i/c today , I looked at the lower mounts I need to hack out for my charger ... and then noted "I guess I'm saving the water pump too ..."

I'd so feel the dummy if I scraped the car with the pump I need to put the rad in

edit , I see going back to the pic the dakota one has it , buy what about the omni one ?

did they move the hose from the rad on common block omni"s ?

[Turbo SOB]

Hello. I have a bit of an update on the common block Omni issue. I recently saw a new forum member (thegermanman927) post about wanting to put an A555 into his '89 Omni. I decided to reach out and PM him about taking pictures of the coolant pump in his car. He obliged!

The picture he took semi-clearly shows the main inlet nipple (from radiator) coming in from the front at an angle, and clearly shows a heater core return nipple.



There is a bolt hole visible between the two inlet nipples, which indicates that the main inlet nipple is at the same angle as the one we are all familiar with.

So, I thought "what's going on here?" I sent him this:

Wow, awesome! Thanks!

The first picture is the one that really tells the tale. The main rad hose inlet port is clocked forward, and there's a heater core return nipple pointing straight down. Without actually measuring the angle of the rad hose inlet port, it LOOKS to be the same as the one used in all the other non-Dakota common block versions.

Here's a picture of when I put the TIII into the Shelby Charger.



You can see that the main radiator inlet nipple points forward, right at the bracket in the corner of the engine bay. Can you confirm that in your '89 Omni this bracket is not there?

Thanks again,
Jeff

His response:

I do not see that bracket there on mine.

So, for at least one example, we have a common block L-body with a standard coolant pump and no interfering bracket.

If anyone else reading this has an '89 - '90 Omni or Horizon, please weigh in!

[Dr. Johny Dodge]

the picture is kinda hard to make out but the bolt on bracket in the corner of the rad cradle / frame rail is shelby equiped L body specific

this much I know from doing a full shelby conversion on an 85 turismo years ago

it should have a Y like shape about it

the top of the Y faces / bolts to the rail , the stem of the Y bolts to the rad cradle

[turbovanman²]

Nice find!!!!!!

[Turbo SOB]

Hello, I just wanted to post that an '89 Omni showed up at the local Parts Galore. I went down to check it out. Here's some pics of the water pump (still attached to engine).



Without a doubt, this is the same water pump as all the rest of the non-Dakota water pumps out there. In the second picture, you can see that there is no additional "Shelby Bracket" support bracket down by the pump in that corner of the engine bay. Also note, you can clearly see the heater hose returning to the water pump, and not the radiator tank nipple. I wish the lower rad hose was still there to show it's routing, but this is all the evidence I need.

So, yeah. That's it!