Earnhardt

iTrader: (1)

2002 WS6, stock LS1, 120k miles. Car overheated on the highway, towed back home and am going to start with replacing water pump, thermostat and housing.

Read some info on LS1 water pumps being replaced with LS2 pumps, and subsequently requiring different housing and thermostats? If I'm going to replace these 3 items on a stock motor, what is my best course of action?

I do have a Gates 33963 thermostat on hand, which I believe is the standard 186 degree thermostat for the stock LS1 pump and housing, but am not positive. I'm not set on using this thermostat if there are better options due to replacing all 3 components.

Also, the car was dyno-tuned with the stock thermostat, if that makes a difference.

Thanks for any help.

RB04Av

The Problem (ahem, "opportunity for a solution") is, some pumps are too shallow where the thermostat goes, and the stat bottoms out in them, and thus can't possibly work right.

No doubt a LS2 thermostat & housing would have a better chance of working in a LS2 pump than probably anything else. Not sure that that's materially any better than the LS1 stuff, unless it got modernized over those few years. Also not sure about things like the pump outlet orientation, pulley depth, etc. Would require paying close attention.

Shouldn't interact with the tune in any manner way shape form or fashion as long as it remains "stock". That is, AFAIK the running temp for a stock LS2 is the same as a stock LS1.

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

if I had a dime for every LS1 WP I have found with a LS2 stat in it.......THEY ARE NOT COMPATIBLE.....now back to the regularly scheduled programming

RB04Av

Yup; pretty sure there are also other similarly incompatible combos. Best to stick with stuff that's all specifically for a particular setup.

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

Could just need to replace the thermostat and why not stick with the factory ACDelco for these cars? I bolted one to an LSX with a Fast 102 intake without issue.

RB04Av

Not sure "AC Delco", or not, has anything to do with it... seems to be more an issue with mixing new stuff for one vintage with older from another... Butt I freely admit, I could be wrong. And mistaken on this particular point besides.

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

My point was "Why put something different on the engine when the ones that came on the LS1's work." I've never mixed/matched water pumps with thermostat housngs and don't see a reason or benefit for doing such a thing. I haven't ran into any issues with the ACDelco water pumps for the 98-02 4th Gen cars which was why I mentioned it. OP's issues could be something other than a water pump or stuck thermostat but that's where I'd start. The problem could be a clogged radiator, heater core, etc...

Earnhardt

iTrader: (1)

I ended up going with the ACDelco 252-846 water pump, Dorman 902-836 housing and MotoRad 456-180 thermostat. Everything seems to go together, will be installing and flushing this weekend and hope this solves my overhearing problem.

My plan is to install without the thermostat and fill/drain a few times with distilled water until it drains clear, then install the thermostat, fill with Dex-Cool and keep an eye on it for the rest of the summer.