Hello there, well I need your expert advice

Have a 96 vette with an LT1 and auto trans.

Trying to think where I should start. Yesterday I made about a
hundred mile trip, the temp indicator never went above 220. It has
a 160 thermostat and fans are programed to turn on at 190.

How ever after I turned the car off, I was hearing this gluging sound,
which was coming from the reserve tank. Checking the over flow
tank, it was pretty much full. Let the car set overnight, the coolant
in the over flow tank was back to normal and the reserve tank was
full as it should be. [[[There was no loss of coolant]]]

Engine fan of the passenger side comes on at 190, and the other
fan comes on as soon as you turn on the a/c. I was not using the
a/c yesterday.

Flushed out the water system about a month or so ago, had to replace a hose.

My think at first was the radiator, maybe partially plugged, Or a problem with the water pump.

Right now I am leaning to the pump as for the last couple of months
once in a while when I first start the car there is this noise that sounds
like a bearing, but goes away in a mater of seconds. This noise now
occurs more often and lasts longer. but still goes away.

Does this sound like a water pump issue or am I barking up the wrong
tree?

Need your input and as always thanks for your help.


Putz

 

Sound right I would do both check for drips under the water pump before you kill your opti. Pull and clean your radiator and clean ac coil pull both knock sensors to get all the crap out. But a good first check would to pull the belt to test to make sure it is the pump. If has no noise feel around to see what it is.

If you do not pull the knocks you left a bunch of undistilled rusty crap water in it.

 

The pump is not operated by the belt. Check weep hole under water pump for bearing/seal failure. Could be the impeller inside. Isolate the grinding sound soon. It could be a compressor clutch or tensioner.

Overheating the heads will be a big problem and could lead to infamous head gasket repair. A dripping WP can kill your opti. Many struggle with heat issues. I replaced WP and radiator with reprogrammed ecm fan temps and love the resulting lower operating temps. Switched to green Prestone from red Dexcool years ago too. It's a battle.

 

reprogram ECM. 1994, 4A. I used to run 225+ in traffic.
Cleaned radiator, condensor, 160 Thermostat. Now I never see over 185 in south Florida, in traffic, even if I get on it.

 

No weeping from the pump, already have programed to have the fans
turn on at a lower temp and have installed 160 thermostat.
sounds like radiator is next

Now when I took the belt off, both the idler and tensioner pulleys bearings are bad. sound like loose metal marbles. The other pulleys spin freely with no noise, so have ordered two pulleys, the question now is
are the bolt that holds these pulleys on have normal thread or
reverse thread??

thanks again putz

 

good job regular thread.

 

thanks again for your help pr.putz