Oil pressure driven water pump

Lubrication system driven water pump eliminates drive belt = better economy

(+1, -1)

By taking the oil pressure from the engine lubrication pump and passing it through a hydraulic motor to drive the water coolant circulation pump. This would eliminate the need for a "fan" belt on the engine to drive the water pump, thus improving overall mechanical efficiency of internal combustion engines ... thus improving fuel consumption and reducing service parts.

This is not patentable = too much "prior art".

—	fasteddy, Jan 16 2009

If there are alternatives to belt driven water pumps (direct drive, cam belt drive) then why do we use belt drive? Simple answer is that the only place a belt drive water pump can leak is out of the engine. Leaks into the interior of the engine are impossible. Any system that uses another mechanism needs to address this mechanism of critical failure. Glycol in the oil will rapidly destroy the engine without giving any warning to the driver. (A "water in the oil" sensor is used in industrial engines that are possible victims of leaking water pumps. ) It's an "idea" but you need to recognize the downside.

—	WcW, Jan 16 2009

I think there's a lot less loss in a belt (that's usually doing other stuff anyway) than you're gonna get pumping the volume of extra oil required to power the coolant pump.

I believe there's some research into saving water pump running costs by installing a slightly more 'clever' system using an electric drive that's temperature controlled rather than engine speed controlled.

—	Skrewloose, Jan 17 2009

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