Water pump Question

I’m looking to get my water pump replaced for an 89 Caprice 5.7L.

1. The question I have is should I go with a after market one or the original one (from the dealer)?

2. I’ll be taking it to a mechanic. How long would it take and how many hours should a mechanic charge? (I was quoted $180 for labor only so it looks like approx 2.5- 3 hrs? – I’m up here in Canada so it might be a bit higher then US hourly rates).

Thanks!

I know a good water pump for that type of engine runs at about $20-25 US new down here at Autozone. Expect a couple of hours (2-3) of labor at whatever the best rate you can find.

i second that notion

seriously, the water pump is very easy to change.
go get one at autozone/napa/advance and do it yourself.
you will save tons of money and learn a bit in the process

Thanks for the info. I'll take a crack at it, and if anything goes wrong, I know this is the place to go for help.

Cool, I'll check it out.. but unfortunately I'm up here in Canada so any sort of item from the US gets slapped with some kind of outrageous brokerage fee and some other tax or something (though the high Canadian $ helps out alot).

The weather is nice so you should try it. The last one I did it was 12 degrees out.. brrrr.

Take some digital pictures as you go for reference material to reassemble it. Try to get a new pump if possible, replace both radiator hoses, thermostat and the belts if they're questionable.

Bob

i'll give you some pointers to get you started.
first, take the cowl/shroud off
drain as much coolant as possible
disconnect your radiator hoses from the water pump
with the belts still on, remove the fan
remove the belts, but remember where they go
i think that is all that you have to do, but i might have missed a step

big thing that will make it easier is to get a piece of metal rod that you can use to hold the waterpump in place with by sticking it in the bolt holes
that thing is deceptively heavy, and when you are standing in the engine bay and have no room to move, you will want any help you can get.

I have an assortment of "line up" bolts in my top box. All they are is bolts with the heads cut off, then I slotted them with a hacksaw. Thread them in where you want to mount the pump, 2 should do you. Hang the pump, get the other bolts started and you're set.

Bob

Thanks to all for the information and encouragement... the water pump was changed successfully (with a little help from my Dad - he's pretty clueless about cars too). I found getting at the screws for the fan the most 'challenging'. And it does feel awesome knowing a ton of money was saved without having to hire someone.

After changing it, I do notice it seems to be running a bit hotter as it was at 195 degrees or so previously, but seems to be running at around 205-210, and even near 220 when accelerating pretty hard.

I used this antifreeze to refill where it can be used with the green stuff and Dexcool (its pretty clear in color). Could this be the possible cause?

I doubt the coolant is the problem, and those cars weren't known for trapped air in the system. How old is the thermostat? That's one job that should be done with the water pump. I always do them at that time since the coolant is out already. Is the fan belt tight enough?

That's great that you saved some $$$ and had a father-son bonding session. The last one I changed was on my '79 and it was 15 degrees out. My son did help me, he was 3 at the time. I sent him under the car to pick up dropped tools and hardware.

Bob

Darrn, I know, I had totally forgotten about the thermostat.. but its running cooler now as before... I think the belt tension wasn't tight as it could have been initially and also added more coolant so it seems to be fine but I definitely regret not replacing the thermostat while I was changing it. I'll try to change it then next time its convenient.

A nice scene indeed with your son, and of course it always helps to have an extra hand no matter how small it is... hopefully many more moments like that and most importantly, that he learns from and appreciates those moments as he gets older.

And a big Thanks to all for all the help!