So, I parked the Z after picking up my kid tonight and went back out to tinker some more, only to find coolant all over the shop floor...

Put her up in the air, started it up....no leak....until it got warm then it started puking out from the weep hole on the bottom of the water pump. (see pic)

Am I looking at a new WP here? and if so, should I just go OEM or A/M or electric or what? I humbly await your expertise here...

 

No way to avoid it...you need a new water pump. Change to a stock replacement and you'll be fine.

Don't run it ike that as coolant leaking onto the distributor is a good way to kill it.

Good luck!

 

Yea, I've read a lot of the "wet opti" horror stories, I have no plans on dunking that thing in coolant.

I was pretty sure I needed the WP, but wanted confirmation before shelling out any dollars to get one. My local GM parts guy is starting to love seeing me come in the door....

Thanks for the speedy reply...

So many options, Bosch, Delco, GMB, APW...any one better than another or am I just asking for trouble going with anything other than the OEM AC Delco?

 

I personally prefer to buy new v rebuilt as I worry about the quality of the rebuilt items. Others may have a different view....

 

I just broke my stock water pump trying to remove the impeller for an electric water pump install. Bought a replacement from autozone for $54 and the fit/finish is IDENTICAL to OEM. I was just going to disassemble it anyway so as far as casting goes, I got what I needed out of it and now it's nice and clean too.

If I was you, while you're at it, I'd just do the same. Go with a Meziere electric while you're in that deep, it's not complicated and is cost effective horsepower wise, as well as cools better than OEM since you can wire it in to a key-on-power source and the water pump will run anytime you have the key on.

Good luck!

By the way, I know this since I've had mine in/out so many times recently... you'll need:

13mm for tensioner
9/16" to remove the ICM/Coil out of the way
9/16" deep and shallow sockets w/ extensions for the water pump
If you go electic, JB Weld the weep hole or drill/tap it and put a bolt in it.
Slide you fans out of the way off the back of the radiator it'll help a lot.

 

The electric pumps flow more than the stock pump at low RPM. They do not flow as much as the stock pump at high RPM. There is a high flow pump available, but still does not flow as much as the stocker at high RPM.

If you lose the power supply or the motor burns out, and you don't catch the increase in coolant temp via the gauge, you may seriously overheat your engine. An LED indicator light on the ower supply circuit is a good idea. The electric pumps have a limited life - I believe 2,000 hours. The last thing you want to do is run them continuoulsy when they are not needed.

 

Valid points certainly. My car gets driven roughly 3,000 miles per year, so it's not a real concern of mine.

Good recommendation on the LED indicator for the electric water pump power supply, I'm going to do that!

 

So, I have 5 of the 6 bolts out...having trouble locating the last one.

Is it the one indicated here in yellow? If so, it's also holding on the bracket for whatever that black cylindrical thing is indicated by the green arrow.

A little direction from the experts if you please...

Normally I would just look at the new one to find out, but it doesn't arrive until Monday...



Thanks for the help again...

 

The black thing is the air injection pump (AIR). The bolt that holds it's bracket also goes thru the water pump.

 

Yep, the stud that holds that Air Injection Pump on is the last one I was looking for. It's on the bench now. sensor out, gasket mating areas cleaned up, bolts cleaned, waiting for a replacement...

Good time to get underneath and get at the rest of the frame/floor surface rust the the Wurth Rust Converter....

Thanks for your help all...

 

Which pump did you go with? If I missed it I apologize.

I went thru a couple of oreilly new/not reman that would last a yr or less, finally I broke down and bought a GM performance pump from summit and never had another problem until I sold the car. Definitely worth buying the better quality. One trick I learned to get the coolant out without getting all over the opti was to remove one of the right side bolts(can't remember which) and then loosen the others, that way all of the coolant would flow out of the open hole.

 

Pump is listed as an "APC" on the receipt from Partsource. Not sure who makes it though..

Bottom right bolt will remove about 90% of the remaining coolant when removed.

80% of that ended up in my armpit. About 2% in my nose/mouth.

I LOVE owning a car that I get to work on again.