Dragon2U

I am planning on tearing in to car this weekend to clean out the radiator and put in the 160 thermo. I thought that since I'll have the cooling stuff torn apart I might as well replace the pump (thought about the opti but I'm x'ing fingers that it'll last awhile longer). The one on there now works fine as far as I know, I just wanna be safe nearing the 80k mark on dark nights.

I priced and looked at a few pumps and decided that I'd get a Napa for $165. Did I get hosed on the price? Looks exactly like orig, more so than some other pumps I looked at online. Seemed some were not stock looking (diff case material or design?).

Anyway, I was thinking of actually taking the pump back if mine can be rebuilt locally or with parts I can locate myself and go to a reputable machine shop for removal and replacement of the internals. Yeah, I squeak when I walk, but that's how I can afford this thing ;)

Seems simple enough, anyone have part numbers or can share experiences? Is this worthwhile or should I just bite the bullet and stick the new one in? Is there anyplace out there that would buy a good pump or are they plentiful and I'd spend more money on shipping than it was worth? Fot the price they want for the pump and the simplicity of repair you'd think there would be a market out there somewhere for old pumps.

TIA for any info or experiences :seeya

RadPolo96

I got an AC Delco...good pump...and I have seen them online for like 125$

VMAX451

I got a new GM stock replacement a few months ago from Dal for $138. Local dealers wanted $265-$280 :eek: .

PurpleC4

Silvervetteman (Larry Barickman) tried his hand at rebuilding a pump or two and my impression was that he was not overly satisfied with the results. You might want to try and balance the cost effectiveness of a rebuild against the damage it might cause should it fail.

As far as the replacement of the OptiSpark unit ~ I would like to suggest that you consider removing it, split the cap from the base unit, and reseal it with a good silicone sealer. The inherent problem with your generation of Opti (and mine) is that the seals tend to shrink over time, so that when the water pump goes it allows water to enter and ruin the unit. There is no better protection you can give yourself than to keep the seal intact.

It has been about 2 years since I last removed mine and resealed it, but if memory serves me correctly, you can remove one of the torx screws from the TB top plate, place the threaded portion of the screw into a variable speed/reversing drill motor, and use the torx head portion to remove the cap screws. In case you are not aware of it, the torx screws that hold the cap to the base are male torx vs. female.

Good luck with that water pump replacement. I buy all my parts from Jeff Kopp. The prices he offer are just about the best around, and the service is AAA.
Purp

jfb

Your water pump can be rebuilt, I had my 87 L98 pump rebuilt and it is perfect. For a new pump, I would recommend a Stewart water pump, they cost $75 and pump twice the volume of an OEM pump and this allows for more heat transfer and a cooler running engine. Their site is http://www.stewartcomponents.com, and their is a bunch of information about water pumps and auto cooling systems there.

PurpleC4

JFB ~
The difference between an L98 water pump, and an LT1 water pump is night-&-day. The L98 water pump is belt driven, so tolerances and clearances are not nearly as important as it with the LT1 water pump ~ which is direct drive from the cam gear with a splined coupler.

I still stand by the fact that you risk a lot more in rebuilding the water pump on an LT1 than just a recurring failure. Trash the Opti and the money you thought you saved by rebuilding the water pump will haunt you!
Purp