Changing water pump without soaking opti
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,130
Likes: 19
From: Arkansas
Changing water pump without soaking opti
I have done about four optis for myself and friends over the last year or so, but on my 92 I just needed a water pump. The consensus is to change both because you will end up soaking the opti on the water pump removal. I noticed when I pulled the lower driver side water pump bolt that it shot fluid straight out. I remembered this yesterday when doing one on my friends 95 so we set out to keep the opti as dry as possible. Here are the steps we took and it stayed really dry.
1. Drain radiator from draincock
2. remove lower drivers side water pump bolt (fluid will pour out)
3. remove hose that goes into passenger side of water pump (fluid will
pour out of this one also
4. remove radiator hoses from water pump (not fluid came out of either
hose)
5. remove pump
This worked well for us, no guarantee for you but it worked twice for me. If I need to just change the pump again these are the steps I will take.
Hope this helps someone out.
Shawn
1. Drain radiator from draincock
2. remove lower drivers side water pump bolt (fluid will pour out)
3. remove hose that goes into passenger side of water pump (fluid will
pour out of this one also
4. remove radiator hoses from water pump (not fluid came out of either
hose)
5. remove pump
This worked well for us, no guarantee for you but it worked twice for me. If I need to just change the pump again these are the steps I will take.
Hope this helps someone out.
Shawn
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 7,339
Likes: 137
From: WilkesBarre PA
I think everything that goes wrong with theses cars the opti gets blamed. If it is in good condition and the seals are good it can get a little wet. I've washed LTx engines, and driven thru crazy rain storms with out a issue.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,130
Likes: 19
From: Arkansas
I washed my engine back in the mid 90's just after I got my 92 and it took a couple of days for it to dry out enough to drive and that was the factory opti.
My 92 was a daily driver rain or shine for several years and never a problem with rain.
I agree the opti is the first to get the blame, but I really like the LT engines.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 171
From: Dublin CA
You need to remove the knock sensors in the block to drain the block. this will remove the coolant from the block so when you remove the bolts from the pump you will not get coolant flowing down onto the opti.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 15,926
Likes: 579
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 15,926
Likes: 579
Use red locktight on the opti screws
Last edited by antfarmer2; Apr 5, 2015 at 02:29 PM.
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