I think I lost my water pump last night. I had a sqeeking noise for a while that sounded like a belt, then all of a sudden I had a real loud sqeeking, then all the noise went away. Thats when I smelled anti-freeze ......... Luckily I was only a few blocks from home, pulled into my driveway and looked underneath.......... What a mess, leaking all over the place. It is that hard to change out and what is an average cost for the parts ? Should I stay with GM parts ?

 

Sorry to hear about your difficuties. In answer to your question no.1, yes, it is fairly easy to change (almost all the work is done from the top)
Question no. 2? Approx in the $130 to $160 range for a new pump. Question no. 3? It's kinda hard to not to go with a GM pump unless you're replacing it with one of the aftermarket electric pumps (kaching! $$)
Call forum vendor Fitchner Chev @ 1-800-234-5284. Make sure to tell Bob you're a forum member (for the gooood pricing) and he'll get a new one on it's way to you.

BTW, since you have a '98, the new pumps all come with the new improved gaskets (2). You have the old paper style that will have to be scrapped off the block before the install. Be extra careful not to damage the aluminum when removing all traces of the old gaskets. The new gaskets are much better and don't have this problem.

 

Thanks for the info, I'll give Fitchner Chev a try and attempt to replace myself ...........

 

post in your regional section, this is a very simple job, 3 hoses, 6 bolts - Steve

 

fyi. just did a copy of my water pump web page.

Water Pump

The water pump started to leak? Do not worry, replacing the water pump is easier to change on the C5 than it is on my C4.

Fans have 2 speeds. Low and high speed. The PCM command low speed fans ON at 226 and OFF at 217 and high speed fans ON at 235 and OFF at 219. This is what you should see sitting the traffic. Or they come on with A/C on.

Drain and Fill procedure

1. Park the vehicle on a level surface.

2. Follow the steps below to remove the radiator sure tank fill cap :
a. Slowly rotate the cap counterclockwise.
b. Stop and allow the hissing to stop.
c. After all hissing stop, continue turning counterclockwise to remove the cap.

3. Opens the radiator drain ****. (It looks like a white plastic plug below the lower radiator hose. You can see it if your car is jack and you are under it). note. There are two types of drain plugs. On my 97 I can turn it with pliers. But on most recent vettes, there is a square hole in the middle. You need a ¼ ratchet extension to turn it. I found it out on changing the dexcool on my friend 2004 Z06. If this is the case, do not turn more than ¼ of a turn or you will break the plug. When I changed his, I turned for ¼ and the dexcool did not leak. I used a flat bled screw driver to gently pull the plug.

4. Allow the system to drain completely.

5. Inspect the engine coolant:
-Discolored – Follow the flush procedure below
-Normal in appearance –continue the next step

6. Close the radiator drain ****.

7. Fill the system through the radiator surge tank opening up to the base of the neck.

8. Start the engine.

9. Idle engine for 1 minute.

10. Install radiator surge tank cap.

11. Cycle the RPM, idle to 3000 for 30 seconds intervals until engine coolant reaches 210 F.

12. Shut off the engine.

13. Refer to step 3 above to remove the radiator surge tank cap.

14. Start the engine.

15. Idle engine for 1 minute and fill surge tank to ½ above COLD Full mark on the radiator surge tank.

16. Install the radiator surge tank cap.

17. Cycle the RMP, idle to 3000 in 30 seconds intervals until engine coolant reaches 210 F.

18. Shut off the engine.

19. Top off coolant as necessary, to ½ above COLD Full mark on the radiator surge tank.

20. Rinse away any excess coolant from the engine and the compartment.

21. Inspect the concentration of the coolant.

Flush Procedure.
1. Block the drive wheels.
2. Place the transmission in Park or Neutral
3. Press the parking brake.
4. Run the engine until the thermostat opens.
5. Stop the engine
6. Follow the drain and fill procedure using water until the fluid is nearly colorless. Refer to Draining and Filling Cooling System.
7. Fill the cooling system. Refer to Draining and filling cooling system.




Washer Pump-Reservoir removal

1- Disconnect the negative battery cable,
2- Remove the washer solvent container retainer nuts
3- Lift the washer solvent container from the wheelhouse
4- Disconnect the electrical connector from the fluid level sensor
5- Disconnect the electrical connector and the washer hose from the washer pump.
6- Drain the washer solvent from the washer solvent container
7- Remove the washer pump and seal from the washer solvent container.
8- Remove the fluid level sensor from the washer solvent container.

Tighten the washer solvent containers duts to 66 lb in.

Radiator surge tank removal

1- Drain the cooling system. (You may skip that step, but that will spill in the car.)
2- Remove the surge tank hose clamps
3- Remove the hoses at the surge tank
4- Remove the sure tank nuts.
5- Remove the surge tank.

Torque radiator surge tank nuts to 89 lb in.


Fill the cooling system using this method to remove the air in the cooling system.


Water Pump Replacment
1. Disconnect battery
2. Disconnect the IAT sensor connector.
3. Disconnect the MAF sensor connector
4. Remove the fuel regulator purge line from air intake duct.
5. Remove the air intake duct/cleaner assembly
6. Remove the drive belts.
7. Drain the cooling system
8. Remove the radiator inlet and outlet hose clamps from the coolant pump
9. Remove the radiator inlet an outlet hoses from the coolant pump.
10. Remove the heater hose clamps from the coolant pump
11. Remove the heater hoses from the coolant pump
12. Remove the coolant pump pulley bolts
13. Remove the coolant pump pulley.
14. Remove six water coolant retaining bolts from the engine block
15. Remove the coolant pump. install the new coolant pump gaskets with the tabs up. Tighten the coolant pump bolts to 30 lb ft Tighten the coolant pump pulley bolts a first pass evenly to 89 N m lb ft Tighten the coolant pump pulley bolts a final pass to 18 lb ft. It takes 30 minutes to remove the pump.

It tooke me 1.5 hour to clean the paper gasket. Replace paper gasket with metal gasket comming on the 99+ When you scrape the paper gasket with a razor blade, be carefull when you lay on the passenger fender. Driver gastet is pretty far and if you put your weight on the coolant reservoir, you will break it. Blow the bolt with compress air to make sure there is no coolant when putting the bolt back to do not crack or damage the block.

Part number for metal gasket is 10276792
Picture of the paper and metal gasket


Here is a view of the LS-1 without the Water Pump


Here is the old water pump. When water pump starts to leak, the dexcool follows the pump core until the thermostat. Therefore, if this is wet under the thermostat, there is a possibility that the pump is going south.


http://pages.videotron.com/vette747/

 

I just want to thank everybody for all the great info, I change out the water pump and everything went perfect. It really is an easy swap........... Just another case of this forum being the best for info..............

 

 

fyi-there are 3 different water pumps on the c5, early with the bolt on pulley 97-99???, then the press on pulley and the '04 with the different tstat

 

Cool! Glad it worked, other wise if you needed any help or advice I was going to say give me a call... I believe I pass by mokena on the way to Theresa's house almost everyweekend..
-=Rick