coolant leak at water pump, newbie questions

[Piece-it pete]

Wow nice low miles! Are you planning on keeping it for the long haul? If so you're a lot closer to the timing chain with the water pump off. It can be intimitating to keep growing the job though.

Perhaps go ahead and pull the pump. Take a look at the timing chain cover. If it seems managable and the water pump bolts are clean you may decide to do it. Or not.

Good luck.

Pete

[jpc]

Here's my shopping list for the water pump. Sure, every repair project takes at least three trips to AutoZone, but let's cheat fate and get everything up front.

* T-stat ($12) and gasket ($2)
* Water pump ($41) and gasket ($3)
* Hi Tack or similar gasket sealant ($6)
* Neosporin and bandages to seal myself up ($4)
* New antifreeze ($22)
* Evian automotive-grade bottled coolant water ("Well, are you gonna keep the car? Then it's worth it.")
* Kerosene heater for the garage, plus some fuel. ($140 at Sears.) I don't plan on freezing my oilpan off.

Did I miss anything? The cost is ~$250 plus a day's work and a small chance that I kill the motor via some bonehead maneuver.

Do I need tools beyond a good socket set, a torque wrench, and some bright work lights? I have those. I don't have air tools or impact tools.

I also have an unopened 1.5oz tube of Permatex Form-A gasket sealant from sometime before 2006. Does this stuff ever go bad?

Will an AutoZone Duralast-brand pump and thermostat be good enough? Will it be Durable and Last? Prices above are for autozone kit.

My mechanic will quote me an estimate for the water pump. He already said "it's gonna be a lot of money so you might just want to add some stop-leak and see how that works." Eh. Maybe time to fix my own hoopty depending on the quote.

[jpc]

Gah! Forgot hoses.
* bypass hose ($9)
* lower hose ($14)
* upper hose ($11)

[ford man]

I went with a $41.95 GMP water pump from Summit Racing because I didn't want to do all that work to put an Autozone water pump on my car. I was impressed with the quality of the GMP pump. You can check your fan belts while your at it. You should also slap your mechanic for telling you to pour stop leak in.

[1987cp]

How much are people charging for labor to do a water pump these days? The work is a little time-consuming, but not particularly difficult, very reasonable DIY job unless you do something dumb like I did on my first thermostat replacement and add coolant before the RTV set up.

I rarely use my air tools for something like a water pump job. You'll want a 15mm socket, and a deep 9/16 and 5/8, but otherwise nothing funkier than a gasket scraper and can of thinner to wipe down the mating surfaces (I usually use lacquer thinner since it's known to dry pretty clean). I usually RTV the four long bolts next to the water passages. A torque wrench might be a good idea, but I don't think I've ever used one for this job!


Last time around I got the $15 reman Valucraft water pump at AutoZone. Possibly the pricier ones are better, but that price was really hard to pass up!

[johnunit]

pro-tip: soak every relevant bolt in penetrating oil right now. Even if you won't be doing it for a week, start hitting it with oil now.

[1987cp]

pro-tip: soak every relevant bolt in penetrating oil right now. Even if you won't be doing it for a week, start hitting it with oil now.

Especially of one of those annoying stud/bolts breaks off. When that happened to me, I promptly grabbed some Vise-Grips and broke it off flush with the block, followed by breaking an easy-out off inside the rest of the bolt. Machinist said my block was trashed, but I happened to know an enthusiast who knew a redneck drinking Bud Lite in his garage - we dropped my engine off with him, and he charged me $60 to get it fixed up.

[jpc]

The horror, the horror. You guys are making me want to pay my mechanic whatever he asks.

I tried using an easy-out once, and had trouble, the drill bit was too soft to make a hole in the bolt. So I might need a better set of bits.

[1987cp]

Whoops! Sorry! Guess I'll shut up about unforeseen circumstances now ....

[sly]

4 hours at 75 to 150 $$ an hour.... or something in that ball park just for the water pump thanks to all the f'n brackets that hang off those bolts.

[sly]

I went with a $41.95 GMP water pump from Summit Racing because I didn't want to do all that work to put an Autozone water pump on my car. I was impressed with the quality of the GMP pump. You can check your fan belts while your at it. You should also slap your mechanic for telling you to pour stop leak in.

I may be looking at such a thing for my 88 here shortly... gotta link? my quick search couldn't find this mythical beast.

[jpc]

Whoops! Sorry! Guess I'll shut up about unforeseen circumstances now ....

That's all right. It's good to think about worst case circumstances. It'd be no fun to tow it down there halfway done.

I heard a story once of a garage that posted something like this sign:

LABOR RATES
$50 / hour
$60 if you watch
$70 if you help
$85 if you already started

[1987cp]

Yep, those signs are pretty amusing. I wonder if any "real" shops actually work for $50/hour any more?

[sly]

last one of those signs saw was adjusted to the shops rates. I think it was $75, $100, $150, $200

[ford man]

I may be looking at such a thing for my 88 here shortly... gotta link? my quick search couldn't find this mythical beast.

Here you go... http://www.summitracing.com/parts/GMB-125-1440/