4 NEW auto zone WP's and weep still leaks ...WTF

[streetcar2try]

Originally Posted by 1slow96

If you like AutoZone,then shop there. I've had more problem with them,and their product than all the other places combined. If you're tired of leaking water pumps,and they all will eventually. Then go electric. I've never been sorry. If I have to swap one out,it only takes 5 min.

I agree with this 110%. Some will disagree but it's, by far, the best investment I've seen LT1 owners make. The only thing to do differently is to run a 30amp breaker in the in-line fuse instead of a fuse. If for some reason the pump gets too hot and wants to blow a fuse, it'll only trip the breaker for about 30 seconds. I had a CSR pump and it would blow fuses like mad, installed the breaker and no issues. After about 60k miles the CSR finally went. Instead of rebuilding it, I opted for the Meziere HD pump, Ran it with fuses for awhile and had no blown fuses, I just put the breaker in for peace of mind.

In time you can save up to buy a 2nd one and keep it in the trunk. CSR & Mez are both rebuildable so it's cheaper than getting a new one.

[Tim96ss]

First .... I thank everyone for the reply's so quick... I love the impala SS community... 2nd ... I don't buy any reman items from AUTOZONE... I learned the hardway... 3rd... I reinstalled the coupler behind the water and made sure if it because I hate rework...4th....when I purchased the NEW water pump the shaft on the back was kinda hard to turn... But I don't know how tight it should be, but I was able to turn it by hand...BUT .. The only thing I didn't do was a complete engine flush pulling the knock sensors.... I did a basic drain and coolant refill... .. My SS runs great... It's just the weep hole leak that's making me not drive it at all .. Tell I change out the WP again... Thanks again from everyone... I will try one more autozone NEW WP... And the complete flush pulling the sensors...

[BALLSS]

Tim

while doing a "complte" block drain on coolant and flush is good maintance, that has nothing to do with the WP failure rate of leaking through the weep hole. Autozone/cardone WP's...would not put one on any car.

Back in 96-98 my 96 SS went through several "AC Delco dealer installed" WP's because they weep and killed optis. When the car went out of warrenty I put on a EWP (Meziere) as the then 500 mile old AC Delco was leaking from weep hole.

14 years later and 80k miles later no issues.

with that said any OEM type WP should last at least 75k miles. I buy my mechanical WP's at NAPA FWIW

I have tried the AZ ones on other vehicles....same story every time. 1 year at best out of them

[The Fooser Guy]

While you have the 'new' pump in your hands...

I took time to tap (1/8" NPT...?) the weep hole, twist in a small threaded elbow, and run a short piece of tubing forward thru the hole in the bottom of the WP cover. That way, 'when' (not 'if' - these things wear out) this WP starts weeping, I hope to be able to see it PRIOR to it running down the face of the TC cover towards the well sealed and vented, with a new vent harness, semi-precious, opti.

$0.02

[Goldmaster]

Hmm, maybe the quality of the new AZ pumps has ended up in the ****ter since Airtex purchased ASC. Most of the good pumps I had were made by ASC INdustries. Airtex bought them out sometime in the past couple years. I know the Airtex fuel pumps have always been junk...

[BALLSS]

^^^ certainly a prudent mod to re-direct coolant from a leaking weep hole away from the Opti and also belt.

we would notice coolant collect at the bottom of timing cover or air pump crossover tube (assumeing belt sliping was not a give away first). Understand that when the coolant system is under pressure during operating conditions "leaking" is faster than after turning off the car. Typically the leaking coolant is slug around so much it disapates the signs of leaking/pooling under a car

I suspect that if there was a camera on the weep hole during FWY speeds...it would be a constant drip...maybe even a stream of coolant leaking

if you go EWP and gut the OEM housing you will see the $.02 POS seal. EWP has weep hole...in front/bottom of EWP so Opti contamination is not in it's direct path of leaking

[Mr pogo]

Originally Posted by The Fooser Guy

From what I can determine, the seal on the rear of the WP is the same part as the WP seal on the face of the timing cover. Now, if we can clever up a way to replace said seal....


.

more likely the waterpump shaft seal is a carbon ring seal, not a lip seal.
do not remember way back what it looked like when I converted to Meziere but just about all waterpumps out there use a carbon seal.

Originally Posted by BALLSS

Tim

while doing a "complte" block drain on coolant and flush is good maintance, that has nothing to do with the WP failure rate of leaking through the weep hole.

oh trust me it does. look at the crap thats in any coolant tank thats never been cleaned out.
any tiny debris will eventually cause a carbon ring seal to leak.

Meziere knows me by sight, until I flushed my cooling system a few years ago I was having their WPs develop weep hole leaks.
eventually it would leak worse and I'd make the drive up to Escondildo and drop my EWP off at Meziere for rebuilding.
since I flushed the system no more leaks. this included pulling the coolant tank and letting CLR sit in it.

[9C1 Newbee]

I have had pretty good luck with new AZ water pumps starting when I first bought my car in 2002. As for the quality the last couple of years, I can't speak for.

[BALLSS]

Pogo

yeah agree a complete flush to get all the crud out. My bad for comparing it to my motor as my engine had been out a few times since I have had the car so that "crud" never was in it.....but know a untouched motor with 75k+ will certainly have debris......let alone a 100+k motor

The dealer switched my car to green in 97 "due to problems with DexCool" GM had. The overflow tank was not salvagable. I tried diswasher and overnight soaking which helped. Should have used some CSR. Got a replacement tank back in 98

I have not yet used the Meziere rebuild service yet but assume it is likely with 75k miles on my EWP. The $50 used spare has been in the trunk since 2000

[4DoorSS]

While you have the system apart and will pull the sensors to drain flush the block, also be sure to forward and reverse flush the heater core on low pressure. clean the heck out of the recovery tank too as A lot of crud can build up there.

I still run the mechanical pump which is fairly new but will strongly consider an electric pump when the time comes. Really not a job you want to do more than once on a mechanical setup it's a PITA.