Water pump - new or rebuilt?

[sgbuick]

Has anybody used a rebuilt/reman. water pump before? What's the difference between the new and rebuilt ones? All the places I have went have a nearly $100 difference between them, just wondering if the reblt. one is just as good, other than the longer warranty?

[MagicRat]

I have used rebuilt waterpumps with excellent results. I have never worn one out, and they are ridiculously cheap to buy.

There is not much to rebuild on these pumps, just 2 bearings and a seal.

[ricebike]

i agree w/ magicrat... some stores, like autozone, can be had w/ a lifetime warranty

if your waterpump is easily accessable, i'd go for that one

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by sgbuick

Has anybody used a rebuilt/reman. water pump before? What's the difference between the new and rebuilt ones? All the places I have went have a nearly $100 difference between them, just wondering if the reblt. one is just as good, other than the longer warranty?

you must use a new water pump. this vehicle has a pump which is highly not recommended to get a re-build..

the cost at advance auto where I got my new pump was about 110.00....the pumps at auto zone are shit..at least 2 years ago when I was looking for one, which is still in my basement , since the one in the car , had stoped leaking ...

these have a full lifetime warrantee...
the one at auto zone had the wrong goose neck and the pump was missing some other part..

[j cAT]

I just re checked this and there is no core return on these...no re-build now I guess they gave up ...

about 118.oo now ...

[96capricemgr]

What year car?

I play with LT1s and use reman pumps with good results. Been daily driving and modifying LT cars since early 2000 and have put something over 205K miles on my cars, been around this block.

The guys who like to use the "new" pumps seem to have a LOT of problems with them, especially the "new" GM pumps. You think they are still making new LT1 pumps or are they rotting in a warehouse?

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by 96capricemgr

What year car?

I play with LT1s and use reman pumps with good results. Been daily driving and modifying LT cars since early 2000 and have put something over 205K miles on my cars, been around this block.

The guys who like to use the "new" pumps seem to have a LOT of problems with them, especially the "new" GM pumps. You think they are still making new LT1 pumps or are they rotting in a warehouse?

were talking about the 94-96 caprice/impala water pump.. its been over 10 yrs now that this pump is not easy or reliable to re-build...I checked this out over 10years ago...these pumps are now re-manufactured with the advance auto / auto zone...pumps sold there..

the GM pumps are most likely very old..the seal however is ceramic..so I suspect that if properly stored they should still work..

I only replaced one pump back in 1998..18,000mi...dealer said it was normal to leak I said f/u and replaced it at my cost much cheaper in the end..

[96capricemgr]

Based on my EXPERIANCE with multiple cars over the last nearly a decade this pumnp works just fine, factory and rebuilt. It is just different than what people are accustomed too so people like to try and find fault with it. Much like the optispark, it is different and therefor bad. Never mind that it can routinely go over 100K on a cap and rotor, try that with an HEI. Nobody would dream of it.

MOST of the "bad" ideas people have about the LT1 are born of ignorance and incopetence behind the wrench.

I have changed LT1 waterpumps myself, on a couple cars, IMO that makes me a little more qualified to talk about this than someone who had one done over a decade ago.

Even IF you were right that in 98 there were no good remans a LOT chnges in over a decade. You wouldn't have a clue about that though since you learned all you needed to know in kindergarden.

[sgbuick]

Crud, I had the rblt. one put in and there is fluid coming from the weep hole after it's shut off, like the old one. Does this mean it's defective?

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by sgbuick

Crud, I had the rblt. one put in and there is fluid coming from the weep hole after it's shut off, like the old one. Does this mean it's defective?

Yes its crap ! I tried to help ya but you had to listen to those know it all's..

this has been my knowlege from over a decade ago ...this is from people and impala ss forums many some gone now that knew all about this..issue..

I'm no mechanic .....I repair electronic equiptment used in the transportation business..I have learned much by listening and verifying rather than attacking....

just go to the part store and get the lifetime warrantee one...

when installing you remove the water pump cover to reveal the impeller..then when installing you make sure that it sets into the tooth/key correctly no binding ...rotate gently to set into it..

[sgbuick]

One other thing I thought of, as I mentioned in another post one of the heater hoses might be blocked since I am getting little heat and the upper heater hose is cool, can a blocked heater hose cause the fluid to back up out of the hole in bottom of water pump?

[J-Ri]

A plugged heater hose shouldn't make the pump leak... the seal isn't pressurized, the impeller pushes coolant to the outside. Any pressure created by the impeller is very small anyway, nothing compared to the ~15 PSI from thermal expansion.

In j cAT's defense, there is nothing wrong with using a reman part, assuming it is assembled correctly. All reman means in the case of a water pump is that the housing is reused. Whoever put it together probably nicked the seal on the assembly line, could have happened on a new one as well. I put a reman pump in my truck 7 years and ~50k miles ago, still no leaks. I do prefer new parts, but back when money was tight in college, most of what I installed was reman

[j cAT]

this water pump is made of aluminum...I actually researched this as I was going to rebuild my pump in 1998...what I found was it was nearly impossible to get parts..then I found so many stating how this metal used caused this rebuild to be very questionable on the results...


using a press I dis -assembled the pump and what happens is the steel bearing eats at the soft aluminum.. so when this bearing is removed you would have to machine out this hole and install a sleeve..too much work , with questionable results...

if this were a steel water pump this is a simple job with the press and other equiptment..also very good results..

I hope this guy did not pay a shop to install a rebuilt pump....

water pump labor is usually 200.oo ...

[96capricemgr]

In other words you don't know crap about this. You heard something a decade ago believed it and still think it applies.

How many times have I taken shots at you for GROSSLY outdated "information". This is the first time I have seen you almost be smart enough to admit your "knowledge" is grossly outdated.

IF the bearing bore is damaged removing the bearing re machining that would be MUCH cheaper for a rebuilder than casting new pumps. If you do some digging the layman CAN get the rebuild parts for this pump these days too, cost almost as much as a reman pump though so only guys trying to save powdercoated or polished housings both.

Irritates the hell out of me the way folks think time stands still. In the course of a decade a LOT changes.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by 96capricemgr

In other words you don't know crap about this. You heard something a decade ago believed it and still think it applies.

How many times have I taken shots at you for GROSSLY outdated "information". This is the first time I have seen you almost be smart enough to admit your "knowledge" is grossly outdated.

IF the bearing bore is damaged removing the bearing re machining that would be MUCH cheaper for a rebuilder than casting new pumps. If you do some digging the layman CAN get the rebuild parts for this pump these days too, cost almost as much as a reman pump though so only guys trying to save powdercoated or polished housings both.

Irritates the hell out of me the way folks think time stands still. In the course of a decade a LOT changes.

they have some guy in china doing these for 25 cents...thats why they don't work out.

looks good though......