Water pump/Opti/plugs/wires tips
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Mustang Oklahoma
Water pump/Opti/plugs/wires tips
Over the long weekend, I tore my '94 apart and put in a new water pump, MSD Opti, plug wires, and plugs.
Before, during, and after, I was scouring the threads for ideas, hints, help, and suggestions on how to make the job go smoother and to run into as few roadblocks as possible.
I thought I'd summarize a few thoughts that I had as I was doing the work, in the event someone else wants to tackle the job and wishes to learn from my experience.
The factory service manual is invaluable. If you don't have one, get one. I had mine right there beside me the whole time and referred to it many times for diagrams and descriptions.
Removal of the water pump is pretty straightforward. In doing mine, I found that it came out MUCH easier by unbolting the power steering pump to have that extra little bit of give. That gave me enough clearance to get the water pump out easily.
Removal of the Opti was a piece of cake once I got past the harmonic balancer. The balancer honestly wasn't too bad. A couple of light taps with a mallet on the pulley and off it came. One thing that I was worried about, only to discover I needn't be, was that the drive gear and the Opti are keyed so that you can only install it one way. Getting it lined up in the cam is another story though.
The plug wires and plugs were 10 times worse than the Opti and water pump. On the passenger side, removing the heater hose that comes across the top gave me sufficient room to maneuver the #8 plug out without too much difficulty. 2, 4, and 6 were easy to remove. The wires on this side were pretty easy too after 8. There's plenty of room to fish the wires around to the Opti also. On the driver side, unbolting the ASR gives you every bit of room you need. 1, 3, 5, and 7 were all easily accessed with the right combination of extensions and u-joints. In order to fish the wires through to the Opti, it made things much easier by unbolting the power steering pump. This is when I figured out that it also gave the added benefit of more room to get the water pump in.
The vacuum lines for the new MSD Opti were easy to install. The vacuum supply is on the driver side of the plenum under the cover and easily accessed by unhooking the throttle cable from it's plastic holder, and the fresh air line connects into the intake boot just in front of the plenum runners. A pilot hole with an ice pick and a 3/16" drill bit and it was handled in short order.
Installation of the new water pump went well I *thought*, until I had everything bolted up and began adding coolant. Drip drip. What's that? A leak and I haven't even started it up. @#$@# A gasket must have walked on me. I tore the car back apart and found that exactly that had happened. I had a hard time getting the water pump in the first time without dragging it against things, and I'm sure that's why. This is where I realized the power steering pump trick would help me out. Did it ever! ALSO, though I had used RTV sealer on the gaskets, I didn't do what 94z07fx3 suggested. The second time around, after aquiring new gaskets, I tried his suggestion to the letter, and it was gold! I include it here for anybody who searches looking for this info, DO THIS. You will possibly save yourself the headache of taking your car apart twice like I had to.
Thanks to 94z07fx3 for the tip. It was a lifesaver sir!
Hopefully this summary will help somebody else who might be thinking of tackling the job.
Before, during, and after, I was scouring the threads for ideas, hints, help, and suggestions on how to make the job go smoother and to run into as few roadblocks as possible.
I thought I'd summarize a few thoughts that I had as I was doing the work, in the event someone else wants to tackle the job and wishes to learn from my experience.
The factory service manual is invaluable. If you don't have one, get one. I had mine right there beside me the whole time and referred to it many times for diagrams and descriptions.
Removal of the water pump is pretty straightforward. In doing mine, I found that it came out MUCH easier by unbolting the power steering pump to have that extra little bit of give. That gave me enough clearance to get the water pump out easily.
Removal of the Opti was a piece of cake once I got past the harmonic balancer. The balancer honestly wasn't too bad. A couple of light taps with a mallet on the pulley and off it came. One thing that I was worried about, only to discover I needn't be, was that the drive gear and the Opti are keyed so that you can only install it one way. Getting it lined up in the cam is another story though.
The plug wires and plugs were 10 times worse than the Opti and water pump. On the passenger side, removing the heater hose that comes across the top gave me sufficient room to maneuver the #8 plug out without too much difficulty. 2, 4, and 6 were easy to remove. The wires on this side were pretty easy too after 8. There's plenty of room to fish the wires around to the Opti also. On the driver side, unbolting the ASR gives you every bit of room you need. 1, 3, 5, and 7 were all easily accessed with the right combination of extensions and u-joints. In order to fish the wires through to the Opti, it made things much easier by unbolting the power steering pump. This is when I figured out that it also gave the added benefit of more room to get the water pump in.
The vacuum lines for the new MSD Opti were easy to install. The vacuum supply is on the driver side of the plenum under the cover and easily accessed by unhooking the throttle cable from it's plastic holder, and the fresh air line connects into the intake boot just in front of the plenum runners. A pilot hole with an ice pick and a 3/16" drill bit and it was handled in short order.
Installation of the new water pump went well I *thought*, until I had everything bolted up and began adding coolant. Drip drip. What's that? A leak and I haven't even started it up. @#$@# A gasket must have walked on me. I tore the car back apart and found that exactly that had happened. I had a hard time getting the water pump in the first time without dragging it against things, and I'm sure that's why. This is where I realized the power steering pump trick would help me out. Did it ever! ALSO, though I had used RTV sealer on the gaskets, I didn't do what 94z07fx3 suggested. The second time around, after aquiring new gaskets, I tried his suggestion to the letter, and it was gold! I include it here for anybody who searches looking for this info, DO THIS. You will possibly save yourself the headache of taking your car apart twice like I had to.
Thanks to 94z07fx3 for the tip. It was a lifesaver sir!
Indeed the RTV is the ticket if nothing else it will hold the new gasket in place durring reassembly.
I treat it like contact cement in that I put some on the pump thin and smooth then some on the pump side of the gasket and let them start to get tacky before mating them to each other. Then when I'm ready to put the pump on I put some on the block and the block side of the gasket.
I treat it like contact cement in that I put some on the pump thin and smooth then some on the pump side of the gasket and let them start to get tacky before mating them to each other. Then when I'm ready to put the pump on I put some on the block and the block side of the gasket.
