All pictures are thumbnails. Click on them for a larger version.
Factory water pump
I think the engine bay of a supercar should look good. This factory water pump design looks like an ugly afterthought. Plus, the tensioner pulley really wanted to cut the shifter cables in half. This monstrosity had to go!
New electric water pump
My solution was a Davies Craig electric pump mounted on the belly pan between the front tires. The thermostat housing seen in the first picture was relocated to the pump inlet as shown above. Also shown above is the temperature sensor that the pump controller uses to vary pump speed.
Looks better, works better
Now the engine bay is starting to look respectable. Craig Hill of Top of the Hill Performance Center did the aluminum tube welding and bead rolling, and I did the polishing. A useful benefit of an electric water pump is that it runs for a few minutes after shutting off the engine. Since my turbo is water cooled, this helps coil oil that is trapped in the turbo bearings when the engine is shut down.
Modified thermostat housing
More aluminum welding by TIG Meister Craig Hill. I wanted the electric pump conversion to be very clean, with no hardware store tees. With Craig's fabrication skill and advice, I have a setup that looks and works better than factory.
More custom fabrication
Here's another piece that Craig Hill built for me. The bung is for the temperature sensor used by the electric pump controller to vary pump speed. Cold water? Pump runs slowly. Hot water? Pump runs at full speed. This helps the engine warm up faster, and prolongs pump life.
All tore down (RIP Johnny!)
Major re-engineering requires major access. If you don't get the reference, watch this YouTube video. Johnny kept me company during many long days in the garage.
Laminova oil cooler
My Noble came with an air/oil oil cooler mounted behind the scoop that is behind the right side door. Noble aero is not the best, and that location does not get a lot of air flow. I decided on a Laminova water/oil oil cooler. This approach provides the added benefit of warming up cold oil more quickly. The cooler is on the cold water side of the radiator system.
Oil cooler adapter lines
This shot shows the adapter that provides oil inlet and outlet for the Laminova cooler. The prominent braided stainless hose was a factory fuel line that is no longer there. The upgraded fuel system is covered on another page.
Ron Davis radiator
The Ron Davis radiator is just a nudge thicker than the factory part, so it is not clear whether it makes a measureable difference. The blue silicone hoses clearly do not make a measurable difference, but they look nice. Supercars should look good in addition to scaring the snot out of you. Obviously, this picture was taken before the electric water pump went in.
Radiator mounting grommets
Nobles are somewhat infamous for cracking radiators because there is not enough tolerance for flex in the mounting hardware. I used these thick rubber grommets from Mcmaster, together with another set of rubber grommets in the chassis mounts, to ensure that my new Ron Davis radiator would not be twisted enough to crack.
