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Gotta replace water pump

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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 06:51 AM
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Default Gotta replace water pump

My water pump is slowly dying. I have the new one in my garage and wondering how hard this will be to do myself. Does the radiator have to come out? I don't have access to a lift so is this something a out of house mechanic like myself might be able to handle?
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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 07:35 AM
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On LT1 cars yes.

On LS1 cars there seems to be alot more room but again I will say yes. Ive done them from the bottom and not remove the radiator but took long, did it from the top with the radiator removed, saved time.

Get a good manual and you should be fine. As far as workin on Fbodies are concerned
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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 07:54 AM
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I replaced mine a couple of years ago and didn't have to remove the rad. Took about 1-2 hours going slowly.
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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 07:58 AM
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It is very simple to do. I did mine from the top without removing the radiator. There is plenty of room..... 6 10mm bolts hold it in place. 1 bolt will have to be taken out with a regular or rachet wrench because you will not be able to get a rachet in there. That is the hardest part and still very simple to do. Also, put a couple of bolts on either side to hold the gasket in place when you are reinstalling the pump. Hope this helps.
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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 08:00 AM
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The water pump is not a problem. you don't have to remove the radiator-you would probably waste time removing it. It will probably take a couple hours to do it for the first time, but if you have any basic mechanic skills you will be able to do it.
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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 08:05 AM
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Water pumps are pretty easy. I had to do mine last summer, did it all from the top, and needed no special tools.

Tip: If you have no short term memory, take plenty of photos. It helped me. Also, I used little baggies to keep the different bolts separate.
Tip: The old gasket was a real bear to get off the block. Have a good scraper handy and take your time.
Tip: I vacuumed out the pieces that got into the water passageway. The coolant helped clean out the tiny bits as it got sucked out.
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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 08:06 AM
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What are some options for the stock water pump replacement? Are there any more efficient or higher flow stock replacement without going with a electric pump?
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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Sneakyws6
What are some options for the stock water pump replacement? Are there any more efficient or higher flow stock replacement without going with a electric pump?
ttt, i have the same question
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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 11:48 AM
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You could do it easily within 2 hours, that includes going slowly and reading directions. t is not necessary to remove the radiator. You'll need to remove the airlid, maf sensor, bellow, and the throttle body. This gives you enough room to work with. I think the most laborious part of it is removing the waterpump and taking off all the old gasket material from the waterpump.
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Old Dec 19, 2006 | 01:41 PM
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I just went ahead with a replacement part from Advanced Auto. It shipped from the factory and I had to wait a couple of days, but it fit right and has worked well. The orininal one lasted seven years and 88k miles.

Since my car is basically stock I saw no reason to spend the extra money on a fancy water pump. The other one worked just fine. However, I'm sure there are plenty of expensive name brand waterpumps if you looked in the online parts catalogs.
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