what do you think
Thread Starter
Navigator
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 9
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what do you think
ok you car guys I need some advice. I own a 93 vette with 57,000 miles on it. Im getting ready to take a long drive about 2,000 miles. Ive been told that this cars usually need a water pump aroung 60,000 miles. Would I be better waiting till it goes or getting it done now and not having to worry about problems on the road Thanks
Pro
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 628
Likes: 3
From: Greenville NC
Peace of Mind...
If it makes you feel better, I'd get it replaced. You will not enjoy yourself if you're worried the entire trip. If it was me, I'd change the oil, check the hoses, belts and tires and take off. The car is 15 years old. It's a 2K mile trip. You will need an "adventurous spirit" to take a car that old on a long trip - that's part of the fun. Have fun and enjoy yourself. Now let's hear about the VATS, hood release cables, opti-spark, etc....
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 13
From: Slidell Louisiana
If you've owned it for any period of time, you will know whether its ready or not.
I'd drive it. But then again on Thursday I flew up to North East PA, ( Hawley) bought a 95 Impala SS, went to DMV for transit plates/title shift etc and less than 17 hours later I was home in Louisiana.
Well maintained LT1s are reliable.
So DRIVE IT!
I'd drive it. But then again on Thursday I flew up to North East PA, ( Hawley) bought a 95 Impala SS, went to DMV for transit plates/title shift etc and less than 17 hours later I was home in Louisiana.
Well maintained LT1s are reliable.
So DRIVE IT!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,145
Likes: 2
From: Antigonish Nova Scotia
I have 80 k on mine and had it on a 3k trip not long ago, had no problems and would go again tomorrow without any hesitation. Original water pump and opti. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,356
Likes: 2
From: No HOA, New Hampshire
Cruise-In X Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Last year I took a 1k trip right after buying an 88 Anni. Checked the normal stuff and the trip was great. 
Race Director
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,306
Likes: 15
ok you car guys I need some advice. I own a 93 vette with 57,000 miles on it. Im getting ready to take a long drive about 2,000 miles. Ive been told that this cars usually need a water pump aroung 60,000 miles. Would I be better waiting till it goes or getting it done now and not having to worry about problems on the road Thanks
60k is about normal for a waterpump - some go 100k - some go 40k its a crap shoot.
Racer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 444
Likes: 2
From: Alpine, Texas
[QUOTE=xlr8nflorida;1566289088] Might want to consider having an extra pump and tools with you on long trips.QUOTE]
I agree with this quote. Can't take up that much more room and if you don't need it, return it! I have a friend who regularly takes his "1971 Cadillac" cross country, and he always takes along extra belts and a couple other odds and ends. He keeps the car in immaculate repair, but ya never know...
I agree with this quote. Can't take up that much more room and if you don't need it, return it! I have a friend who regularly takes his "1971 Cadillac" cross country, and he always takes along extra belts and a couple other odds and ends. He keeps the car in immaculate repair, but ya never know...
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Brett Foote
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,129
Likes: 1
From: Pasadena CA
I would bet $ that if you replace your pump before you set off, something else connected to it will break out on the road 
There's a chance anything could break on your trip - might as well go for it with the original pump - as someone said, it's part of the fun.. chances are your car will be fine. You could always take it out for a good few hours one weekend to shakedown the car for problems before the trip.
There's a chance anything could break on your trip - might as well go for it with the original pump - as someone said, it's part of the fun.. chances are your car will be fine. You could always take it out for a good few hours one weekend to shakedown the car for problems before the trip.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Learned a long time ago not to do a bunch of repairs right before a good sized road trip. Something always webt wrong somehow and it was usually due to some minor oversight on my end while wrenching.
2000 miles is nothign, if the weep hole is dry have at it.
2000 miles is nothign, if the weep hole is dry have at it.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 586
Likes: 119
From: Saint Cloud, FL
This is a GREAT thread, as I suffer from the same paranoia 
. I'm nearing 100K on my 94 and have no idea of the age of either the water pump or the Opti. I'm not experiencing any symptoms (leaks or drive-ability) and use mine as daily driver. I've put 6K on it myself and still worry a little about taking it on an out of town trip.
The question I have is will either of the two fail catastrophically? It seems that the water pump won't fail that way and will begin to give signs of failure (leaks, noises, etc).
The Opti's failure mechanism, as long as it's kept dry, I'm also unsure of. Does it give symptoms before failure? In either case if there is a symptom of impending failure, how far can you drive before the repair?
. I'm nearing 100K on my 94 and have no idea of the age of either the water pump or the Opti. I'm not experiencing any symptoms (leaks or drive-ability) and use mine as daily driver. I've put 6K on it myself and still worry a little about taking it on an out of town trip. The question I have is will either of the two fail catastrophically? It seems that the water pump won't fail that way and will begin to give signs of failure (leaks, noises, etc).
The Opti's failure mechanism, as long as it's kept dry, I'm also unsure of. Does it give symptoms before failure? In either case if there is a symptom of impending failure, how far can you drive before the repair?
Race Director
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,306
Likes: 15
This is a GREAT thread, as I suffer from the same paranoia . I'm nearing 100K on my 94 and have no idea of the age of either the water pump or the Opti. I'm not experiencing any symptoms (leaks or drive-ability) and use mine as daily driver. I've put 6K on it myself and still worry a little about taking it on an out of town trip.
The question I have is will either of the two fail catastrophically? It seems that the water pump won't fail that way and will begin to give signs of failure (leaks, noises, etc).
The Opti's failure mechanism, as long as it's kept dry, I'm also unsure of. Does it give symptoms before failure? In either case if there is a symptom of impending failure, how far can you drive before the repair?
. I'm nearing 100K on my 94 and have no idea of the age of either the water pump or the Opti. I'm not experiencing any symptoms (leaks or drive-ability) and use mine as daily driver. I've put 6K on it myself and still worry a little about taking it on an out of town trip. The question I have is will either of the two fail catastrophically? It seems that the water pump won't fail that way and will begin to give signs of failure (leaks, noises, etc).
The Opti's failure mechanism, as long as it's kept dry, I'm also unsure of. Does it give symptoms before failure? In either case if there is a symptom of impending failure, how far can you drive before the repair?
The waterpump starts to drip through the weep hole in front and often times will sling water onto the inside of the hood. The opti starts to give a bad idle and it will skip under heavy acceleration.
If you are a DIY or know someone, then sometimes its better to do it at your house before it breaks if you know the parts are pretty old. If your car breaks down and you have to go into a shop and show up on a flatbed, you are going to get reemed to the the tune of probably $1,000-$1,500 for opti/waterpump when in reality you can do it home for $450.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 389
Likes: 2
From: Austin Tx
Personally, I'd fix it. I'm a born pessimist when it comes to this and I figure I'm broke before I even leave the house! That came from owning a Subaru wagon that would like clockwork snap a timing belt every 35K miles. I thought I could get away with it being close one time and took the trip anyway. What a complete pain in the a$$ that was! Never again.
If it's close, fix it...you're going to eventually anyway.
If it's close, fix it...you're going to eventually anyway.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: AREA 51 ??? THERE IS NO AREA 51 NEVADA
I say to heck with it. Keep the vette in the garage, get a six pack and hide in the corner. Don't take a chance... NOT>>>>
You can't set and worry about what might happen. Just get in the car, look out the windshield and enjoy the ride. NO WORRYS
If it breaks fix it. Otherwise its
You can't set and worry about what might happen. Just get in the car, look out the windshield and enjoy the ride.
NO WORRYSIf it breaks fix it. Otherwise its
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,971
Likes: 9
From: The reason time exists is so everything doesn't happen at once
Check in the weep hole to make sure its not leaking. Normally it gives you some warning. Also, changing the water pump is not that big of a deal. Might want to consider having an extra pump and tools with you on long trips.
60k is about normal for a waterpump - some go 100k - some go 40k its a crap shoot.
60k is about normal for a waterpump - some go 100k - some go 40k its a crap shoot.
If you wait for it to fail you might never take the trip.
At the very least consider hooking a drain tube to the weep hole to chanel coolant past the opti so that if the wp does fail it won't take the opti with it. Water pumps are faily easy to replace but you don't want to replace an opti on the side of the road.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,768
Likes: 33
From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
I say to heck with it. Keep the vette in the garage, get a six pack and hide in the corner. Don't take a chance... NOT>>>>
You can't set and worry about what might happen. Just get in the car, look out the windshield and enjoy the ride. NO WORRYS
If it breaks fix it. Otherwise its
You can't set and worry about what might happen. Just get in the car, look out the windshield and enjoy the ride.
NO WORRYSIf it breaks fix it. Otherwise its
CF JASOC Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 8,040
Likes: 34
From: Downtown Annapolis, MD. The Future is where we all have to live. Let's not screw it up.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
My '88 L98 wp lasted 17 years or 110k miles before it started the slow leak at the weep hole.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,134
Likes: 23
From: Joplin, MO, USA
The '88 was probably on it's second one-in the L98 they failed at 60k like clockwork! By the LT1, they were a lot better and completely different (reverse flow cooling), and went a lot longer.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,651
Likes: 10
From: Apple Valley MN
Check in the weep hole to make sure its not leaking. Normally it gives you some warning. Also, changing the water pump is not that big of a deal. Might want to consider having an extra pump and tools with you on long trips.
60k is about normal for a waterpump - some go 100k - some go 40k its a crap shoot.
60k is about normal for a waterpump - some go 100k - some go 40k its a crap shoot.
Just make sure there is absolutely no sign of it going before you head off. Mine went at 39K on my LT4, but I had plenty of warning - I started seeing coolant spray on the underside of the hood last fall, so I replaced it first thing this spring.