Obviously you guys haven't read previous posts.

Here in California, POS go for about $4000, especially with the mods I have in it. Any takers?

 

Yes, there very well be some psychological factors going on here. All cars have some higher occurrence failures common to them. It is their nature. Most people that work on cars learn to deal with it, accept it, analyze their problems and work around it. If lashing out at the manufacturer makes you feel better, then so be it. Just don't expect everyone to join you.

Perhaps your water pump drive has some runout that is causing vibrations destroying your pumps. Did you replace worn out pump shaft o-rings and grease the coupler when you did your install?

 

Well, then you've got me who has put on several 'cheap' parts and they've lasted me pretty close to 80K miles so far (knock on wood). So who can tell?

Also, just because its ACDelco doesn't mean the parts are failure proof either. It wouldn't surprise me to hear someone not get very long life out of something, but it seems the percentage would be a lot lower. Going with good parts is your best bet, but not a 100 % guarantee at all.

 

You could always try a different approach such as an EWP

 

So this thread is nothing more than you bitching and whining instead of wanting help and answering a few questions I take it. Fair enough.

 

my stock water pump leaked around the bearings on the splined drive shaft in the back. Leaked all over my opti and i just changed the cap and rotor on it and its still working for now. That was 2 years ago. at 80k miles.

I went with the GMPP water pump through summit. Little more pricey but I figured, its assurance.

 

if you do replace the WP, put a drain hose connected to the WPs hole to divert any further leaks away from the opti..Also seal up the opti with RTV sealer to prevent water from getting in. There is a vent kit from Gm for this

 

I have a '95 Z - the original water pump leaked at the weep hole at 130k. I've never had an issue with the optispark. At the time I replaced the water pump, I replaced the cap and rotor (MSD unit) - I figured since I had the water pump off, I might as well change the cap/rotor.

Also, I figured since I'm changing the cap/rotor, I thought I should yank the optispark and clean it up. So I disassembled it, cleaned up it, and re-installed everything. BTW - the thin aluminum timing disc had a bent ear, so used a small cylinder to "roll" the bent portion flat.

I re-installed everything, but instead of the mechanical pump, I installed a Meziere electric. The reason I installed the Meziere is because, as it turns out, the splined driving shaft and coupler were stripped, and I didnt want to tear back into the timing cover.

Anyway, all cars have flaws, esp those that are gaining in mileage. Be sure you're using high-quality parts and not those off-shore cheaply made parts - it pays off in the long run.

 

With a new AC-Delco WP, the answer would be "installer incompetence" about 99.99% of the time.

 

Just for ***** and giggles, a buddy of mine (when he had to replace his opti) got a brand new AC Delco waterpump and went ahead and tapped the weep hole in the bottom, installed a metal "nipple" in it, and then attatched a rubber hose that ran along the front of the block and came out the bottom. That way if it took a dump again, it wouldn't douse the otpi. Just a thought if you're tired of getting new opti's when your waterpumps fail....

 

The way I see it when buying a f-body you either get a "runner" that never lets you down that was taken care of, or b, a car that has been rodded to death.

But you cannot escape the wraith of installing parts incorrectly or not doing the necessary maintenance to keep your car running top notch. I would always use original parts to replace the non-working, and not some cheap rebuild that will last a couple of months.

 

Something that will cause a pump to go bad is silica in the water. next time you change your pump, back wash your block real good. You wil be surprised at the amount of crap that will come out.

 

Thanks for the positive productive responses save a few immature ones which is expected on this site. Protecting the opti with a cover to deflect a leaking water pump is an interesting idea - wish I had read that a long time ago. If that is necessary to alleviate the reoccurrence then one might conclude that the design and placement of these parts was poor. Gonna sell this lemon if I get a decent price. Next time you talk to the manufacturer give him my apologies for lashing out.

Save the country, vote Republican!

 

When my waterpump died,I had a ACDelco new replacement installed.The mechanic told me (quote),pretend you are driving a new car,and that it requires a brake in period of 50 to 100 miles or so.And don't go out here and blast the hell out of the car.So I quess most new parts need some brake in(drive normal) time.(except plugs and wires and window motors).I was lucky the opti was saved.
The waterpump weep hole customizing was posted years ago here,and I believe the person used a greese fitting(center part removed),but I don't remember how he installed a round thing into a triangle thing (weep hole).Ran a rubber tube down around everything,secured somehow to something.Hope this helps.

 

I believe most everyone would agree that The LT1 isn't perfect, but it makes for a pretty enjoyable driving experience. Maybe you should consider parting it out. I'm not sure I would feel very good about passing on a lemon.