'94 with 73,000 miles on it....I bought it with 65,000 and assume everything is original.

Need to replace water pump....it is leaking. I assume to go ahead and replace all hoses and thermostat.

What is the protocol here?

Automatically replace optispark, plugs, wires, etc. while I am in there?

Or replace water pump only and for the rest......'don't fix it unless it is broken'?

Can optispark be removed, inspected, and good decision made based on visual?

Opinions welcome.

Thanks.

kc

 

Definetly not a bad idea to replace it, since it can be a gamble to keep it and then you end up pulling the pump again.

To the opposite arguement..my car sat all winter and when I moved it in the spring I noticed a pancake sized puddle of coolant on the floor. I drove the car about an hour to its summer home and parked - again it left a few drips. I replaced the pump and left the opti. Its been a few months and still runs strong. I think I caught the problem very quickly and with very little driving time. That said, the only reason I kept the opti is because I'd like to upgrade to a hotcam/vented opti in the near future and did not want to do the job twice since my 94 uses the non vented. 107k miles and still running.

I can't answer if the opti can be removed visually inspected for damage, never done it. But if you're going to go through the trouble to remove the opti to inspect then at that point I'd say its worth the investment to replace it since the labor will be all the same.

 

Thanks.....I think I caught it rather quick.....it is a definite slow drip after turning engine off....that is why I am not sure about the need to replace opti.....I will check with local chevy dealer on price........the other issue is......I do not know what the recommended 'life expectancy' is for the opti....if there is such a thing

 

You are not going to like the price a dealership will charge you to replace the water pump and opti. Many hours of labor. Just make sure the dealership has a truly experienced mechanic on Vettes.

 

I'm more into the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" school of thought.

To me there seems to be an epidemic with more and more folks recommending a lot of unnecessary things. You probably know the train of thought I'm referring to: "Since you're doing 'A' you might as well do 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', etc.

I see it all the time on every Forum I visit. Many of the responses are posted by those I've come to refer to as "Ditto heads" (no personal offense intended). I've also noticed that the "Ditto Heads" try to out-do each other. If one lists four other things that should be changed the next guy will want to out-do him by listing five. It becomes like a competition to see who can list the most parts.

Following that train of thought will have you end up with a pretty big unnecessary investment in time, work and money.

As an example that "I practice what I preach", last month my W/P began leaking and all I changed were the parts the W/P manufacturer recommended: Pump, W/P gaskets, thermostat and radiator cap.

In summary, if I wasn't planning to change a particular part BEFORE the pump failed, I wouldn't use the failure of the pump to cause me to replace other properly performing parts.

It's your call though. Just my view.

Jake

My son, Ryan M. Cameron, graduated from West Point on 22 May 2010! He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and I pinned on his first pair of "Butter Bars" PROUDEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!

 

 

Here is what I am finding with respect to prices:

1. Water pump - Chevy dealership $440.,
Napa Tru-Flow Water Pump - $204.

2. Opti (if needed)- Chevy Dealership $850....yikes!
JEGS on-line, GM Performance #809-10457702 - $520.

Anybody have any experience with the JEGS on-line opti?

I plan on doing the labor part myself.....I have another car to drive everyday, an over-sized garage (24' x 26'), good set of tools, FSM, and great photos from the Forum to help. My biggest concern (until I actually begin the work) is getting the car up off the floor high enough so that I can flush the cooling system properly.