Novo

Hello everyone!


I have a water pump issue - it is leaking from the weep hole, but not all the time, most when I start the engine and after the engine is switched off. But the car started to drop much of the water and also it drops to the belt and my power steering fails in any moment of driving and thats is dangerous.


So I decided to not lose any of my expensive ShellZone coolant and to eliminate any road accident.
I want to replace my water pump. And now I need your advice and your great experience too!


I have seen some videos on youtube about how to change water pump on LT1 engine, all of them shoewd this process like very simple, but I'm new to this and still have more questions.
I will try to change my water pump under the sky, cause I have no any garage or pit. But I have a jack and jack stands to lift up any two corners of the car.
First of all I composed some simple list of parts to change within this procedure:

1. Water pump with two A-style gasckets (they usually go with pump). Need advice which one to buy - ACDelco OEM or some more cheaper one, for example ACDelco Professional.
2. I think I must have a new thermostate (standard 180 degrees) and a gasket for its housing. Also need to know quality brand.
3. O-ring seal for the water pump shaft. I don't know one or two I have to change, please help me to understand.
4. Tool for O-ring seal installation - J39087. Correct me if I am not right please.
5. Accessory belt, cause I even don't know how much my running on the car. Need advice which one is good to go with.
6. Also I want to replace my recovery tank, cause it is leaking form its joint, it is not so important but if my hands will become dirty, why not to do it. What do you think?
7. Should I do sometging with my optispark? Replace or some service to it? It seems that it is working fine banging sparks to all eight. But my shellzone washed it well I think.
8. Also it is a good chance to replace spark wires, cause this is too tricky with supercharger installed. Which is good to go with?
9. Engine coolant temperature sensor that is in the pump. Mine is fine, but who knows will it survive the screwing out and in again in new pump.

So this is a small list of parts, and I need your advices and suggestions about what I've forgotten to list - part numbers will be the best, cause I need to order parts and have no ability to view it by myself in the shop (I'm from Ukraine).
Also I need to know what tools I must have to do the job - any wrenches (types, inch sizes or cm sizes), any special tools.
Another one question is about the fluids that I should use between pump and gasket and between gasket and the engine, between thermostate housing and its gasket and pump, between ECT sensor and pump. I really dumb in this question. So help me in advice.


And also any advice founded on your past expirience in this procedure.


And do I need to modificate weep hole on a new water pump to screw in something to divert coolant from washing my opti and belt? If so - how to do it the best, need your opinion.


Sorry for that long post, but I tried not to forget anything. And sorry for my English.


Thank you very much!!!

RobbyRob

Just wanted to let you know you can use distilled water and water wetter instead of the coolant. It cools better and is easy on the wallet. I learned it years ago and have been seen 20 to 30* difference in temp. If you are in a area that gets down to freezing you will need a little coolant to keep it freezing over night or when the car sits for a long time.

Novo

Thank you very much. I've already found one guy who used this mix of fluids even in area where is colder then in mine one. In my city usually winter temperatures are from 23f to -17f. So it is a good idea to use this fluid ro get engine cooler then with coolant.

94Z28LS1toLT1

Hey novo on the water pump gaskets you mentioned I'd use the ac delco ones I believe they are gray,i liked those ones better than the duralast ones,bcuz they are thicker n i always have a great seal on them n my water pump never leaked

Novo

Thank you!
I have already purchased a water pump by ACDelco Professional Series, it is not an OEM Series, but is cheaper and costs something about 86 bucks. And it is already on its way to my country. So ACDelco says that two A-style gaskets are int the box with the water pump, I will see if those are good - will try to use them.

Midnight_Z

I use the water pump/thermostat specific rtv and put a thin layer on both sides of the gasket. No leaks after 2 water pumps.

Novo

Could you please give me a name of exact RTV that you used? I willt try to find it? Thank you!

Midnight_Z

Permatex water pump and thermostat housing rtv silicon gasket maker.

Novo

Thank you, guys.
But I have another one question...


Should I use a thermostat gasket between thermostat housing (water outlet) and a water pump or a rubber o-ring only? For example, rockauto and other autoparts stores doesn't know anything about this gasket and the picture from shbox.com website tells exact the same "no gasket other than the o-ring". But I have downloaded a service manual book for the '95 f-body, that have a picture of something very similar to a gasket and calls it that way.

Image from shbox.com website: http://shbox.com/1/tstat.jpg
Image from the service manual book is in the attachment.

Thank you!

Injuneer

In the Shoebox photo, the black rubber ring around the edge of the t'sat is the gasket. No additional gasket required. Service manual is incorrect. Happens once in a while. For example, the auto transmission section in the 94 and 95 factory manuals references truck applications, not the F-Body.

If your t'stat doesn't have that rubber ring, you probably have the wrong one.

Novo

Thank you! Now it's clear for me.
I will order a new thermostat from autoparts store, but I do not know does it go with its rubber o-ring or not, so I'm going to order an o-ring for LT1 thermostat also. I saw that theese o-rings are two different desings - a standard OEM design and improved design. Maybe I should order both types of them and install the one that fits well?

shoebox

The correct thermostat should come with the o-ring on it. There should be nothing else to buy.

Injuneer

I thought what I wrote was pretty clear. Did you look carefully at Shoebox's photo, it shows the Hypertech t'stat, exactly as it came out of the Hypertech box, with the rubber ring.

Novo

Thank you very much. I have already checked photos of LT1 thermostats provided by various brands and all of them have that rubber ring. So it seems to be clear for me.


And also I just forgot to ask what part number of ECT sensor should I order. I have noticed three of them:
- 19187357 (ACDelco 213-4396)
- 15326386 (ACDelco 213-928)
- 25037332 (ACDelco 213-77)
What ECT sensor is excact that I should screw in in my new water pump?

gaedbo

#213-4396 is the Sensor located in the Water Pump for the PCM

http://shbox.com/1/temp_sensor1.jpg

The 213-77 is the one located on the Left Hand Cylinder Head for the Gauge.

http://shbox.com/1/temp_sensor2.jpg