Just wondering what to expect. I can do basic stuff, like brake jobs, oil changes, trans filter ect. How hard is it, and how much do LT1 waterpumps typically cost? TIA.

Also, is an electric waterpump an option? My car is daily driven in the summer in city traffic.

 

Water pump is pretty easy. 6 bolts an 1 electrical connection. A rebuilt pump is in the $50 range and a new is in the $150 range. Pretty easy on the lt1. Or fourse you got heater hose and rad. hoses as well. You should replace the thermostat at the same time. Electrical water pump IMO is a gamble on a street car. If it fails you are jacked like 17 switches. With the OG pump it may leak a bit but at least it will get you home!

 

don't even know if it IS the water pump. About a week ago, I got the 'low coolant; light. I checked the overflow tank, and the level was fine. I threw some Dexvool in, just in case, and the light went off.


Now it comes on intermittently. I've been noticing small paper-plate s-zed puddles of water on the ground after the car is parked, and is ISN'T from the a/c, since I rarely use it.

Someone was saying that it could be blown had-gasket

There isn't any smoke at start up, the car runs fine....but the temp starts to creep up in heavy traffic (faster than it used to) At cruise, I can drive for an long periods of time, and won't go past 160 degrees

 

A water pump wont make the car get hot unless of course it is leaking. Only time to replace them is if they are leaking or the bearings go bad. Sounds like a thermostat to me.

 

You do know how to bleed the air out of your coolant system after you add more coolant right?

And before you replace the pump, take the car for a drive, get it hot, and then jack it up and get under it...dont burn yourself, but really look good at all of the hoses. The LT1 is soo damn packed in there its hard to see them all, so use a flashlight. Also check the two heater hoses that go into the firewall on the passenger side.

 

Do you sometimes feel like the power steering is going out on you? This is an indication that the WP is leaking on the serpentine belt and causing the belt to slip. Is there coolant on top of the throttle body? This would be slung from the belt if the WP was leaking. These are two pretty quick ways to tell if the WP is taking a dump. I would also suggest bleeding the air out of your system.

 

Be sure to check the plastic parts of the radiator. It the plastic is cracked, it may only leak under pressure. The low coolant light is a known problem. The sensor is located on the radiator by the battery. I just unplugged the one on my car.

 

http://www.streetillusionsracing.com.../opti/opti.htm
It's a guide for replacing the optispark, but you can just go as far as the water pump.