Here I go with my 289 stories again... [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

When I snapped a rocker stuf on my old 289 turning 7 grand (them suckers'll rev like mad, even stock... just takes a while to get there) I threw on a old pair of open chamber 302 heads to get it running again.

Forgot to add coolant. Oops! Didn't realize it until over a week later. Double oops! That was back when I was driving over 500 miles/week (mostly highway). Triple oops!! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]

I thought it was just going from 53.5cc closed chambers to 63cc open chambers that made it gutless. I just shrugged it off when it had a top speed of 75-85 MPH depending on if I was going downhill and had a good tailwind. Uphill was worse!

Oh, did I mention when I put the intake back on I broke the sending unit and couldn't get the remains out so I didn't bother putting a new one in?

So anyhow I went thorugh a couple tanks of gas cruising down the Atlantic City Expressway WOT and doing 75-85 MPH with no coolant. Engine always acted like it wanted to die when I stopped. I'd have to feather the gas for the first couple minutes after coming off the highway.

Finally one day cruising along with my right foot planted firmly on the floor it hit me 'Gee, did I ever put coolant in this thing??' Well, I pulled over and the radiator was bone dry!! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] I poured my water bottle in there and figured that ought to be good enough if it's gone all this time without anything.

Got off at the next exit and got some water to fill it. Wow, what a difference that made! The thing purred like a kitten and had a top speed just over 100 MPH, though I only cruised around 75-80 after that.

Now I did have my belts on, but I don't think the water pump was doing much of anything. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] I don't know how the new mod motors are as far as brutal durability and longevity, but that 289 still ran great and had 100 PSI on the dot in each cylinder when I sold it with over 202,000 miles on the original engine. Not bad I say!

Running an engine without the water pump turning should be fine for a brief period, especially if you have coolant in it.