SS Pat

Wanted to know if it is possible to rebuild the water pumps or do you just typically replace them? This is the second time it has gone bad, the first time was under warranty. I can't believe these things are this bad only have 47K on the car. I just replaced the radiator a week a go because it cracked down the black plastic end cap. Need to figure out away to make it air cooled

DaxsZ28

Hate to tell you this, but you can have the plastic end on the radiator (I've heard them called tanks for whatever reason) replaced instead of the entire radiator. It's cheaper.

As far as the WP, not sure if they are rebuildable, but you can put an electric one on there and pick-up a few HP.

SS Pat

I knew about replacing the end caps, but the other side was looking bad so I just replaced the whole thing. If the back portion of the pump housing stays for the elec. pump install do you still need do something to stop the leak or is that part of the process?

DaxsZ28

You talking about the weep hole on bottom. I think when you put an electric one on there, you press out the 'guts' of the WP and put the electric 'guts' back in the housing. That will fix the weep hole. The weep hole is just a warning sign that the pump is going bad. That, and to destroy optis!

S.J.S.

Electric water pump????? Where the hell have I been? Never even knew they had one for this car. Fill me in guys.....how does it hook up and how much do they run. I'm gonna get a new water pump since my engine is out anyway.

revtime

You know the bolts on the outside of the pump? the ones that hold that circular plate on? The electric pump bolts in there and the old hole in the back gets plugged, so does the one on the timing cover.
they run about 190 or so in summit, I think summit is selling a whole pump housing with the electric already installed but I just heard that so don,t know if its true or not.

You can buy a replacement radiator that is all copper and brass without the stupid plastic side tanks, any radiator shop should be able to get you one. I put one in my 88 IROC after blowing a side tank off.

SS Pat

If I go with CSI pump do I need to remove the water pump drive shaft? Any one using the $135.00 Autozone water pump?

David A. Wilks

Okay... forgive my newbie LT1 inexperience. Does this mean I can remove the ****ty single row timing chain and install a full roller? I would love the performance and reliability of losing the Opticrap Showering waterpump. Seems like a lot of headaches can be eliminated by changing all this out.

The way I see it, the job would be best done if you replace the timing chain, Opticrap, and waterpump all at the same time.