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 instruments 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!!!

 

if the pump shaft seal is not leaking oil i would leave it. you can make a seal installer. (look at 3 here https://camaroforums.com/forum/lt1-l...lt1-how-73446/) i used to go with new water pump but they quit making them so use acdelco oem. (also look at 4 to bleed air) i used some copper rtv on the water pump side just to hold gasket. how old is the opti?

 

i have had good experiences w/AC/Delco replacement parts over the years

 

Thank you for your replies, guys.
Just want to give more info...
O.k. I understood. But I think I will by a couple of seals, just to be sure if it is leaking the oil, to replace it. I mean part number 12553792. Am I right?
You are about the fact that GM quit making theese pumps and closest to there's pumps are AC Delco OEM? I so AC Delco OEM (for about 211 bucks) and AC Delco Professional (for about 80 bucks) at rockauto, so I should use the first instead of the second?
You are saying about to completely bleed all the air from system?
RTV - stands for real time vulcanization? Can you give me example of that copper RTV, I will try to find exact thing in local stores. So you used it only from water pump side, but from the engine side you didn't use enything between engine and that gasket?
Haha. Who knows? I bought this car two years ago, but she already changed two or three owners, but maybe even four only in my country. Car was upgraded with supercharger when it was in USA and then it went to Ukraine. For the S/C reason I can't get access to see what opti on it - original or some replacement. So when I will screw out water pump I will be able to see the opti and its health.


You're are about AC Delco OEM or Professional or it doesn't matter?

 

12553792 is the o ring that fits on the shaft to help keep it from moving around, at least thats the only thing i can think of why its there.
oil pump seal here https://www.summitracing.com/parts/n...YaAuVEEALw_wcB

this is the atv i was talking about
https://www.walmart.com/ip/UBO-81878...&wl13=&veh=sem

yes once new water pump is in and coolant is full up you need to get the air out of the coolant system.

 

It's a water pump drive shaft seal. O-ring seats behind it?

That's great! Cause Permatex is the brand that I saw at our stores. Think that I can get it.



And what do you think about this gasket set? Does it fit my car well?

 

that set also had the front cover, main seal and water pump shaft seal if you going to chang them. i think the driveshaft for the water pump has o rings on both ends,,, dang its been a while sence ive had a water pump off. again if the water pump shaft is not leaking oil i would think twice before diggin into it. i went through a few of the seals before getting them in right, gotta keep that inner lip pointing in and if it rolls over it will fail soon. when i got it wrong i found that at the time i could not get just the seal, had to buy the gasket set. may be able to get just seal now though.

 

you can see the o ring in this one

 

you will get the water pump gaskets with the water pump, if your just doing pump and seal you can get just the seal now, https://www.summitracing.com/parts/n...UaAowcEALw_wcB

 

there will be another o ring on the water pump side, they keep the coupler from vibrating.