Here's the deal, bad water pump, wizzing through the weep hole. How much trouble is it? So ya have to remove the radiator to get the fan off? Do you just need to take off the shroud to get to the fan to get to the pump to get to the shin bone connected, oh never mind....
Anyway... how much friggen trouble and how much time.... If I took it to the Stealer of a inde how much denaro~? Guestimate/ballpark figure if ya can...
I posted this before but I could not find it, so if it is on here somewhere, apologizes here and now for the double posting... Sooo saalee charllee.
Thank for any feedback or replies...
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I forgot to ask if it was really necessary to have that J41240 GM tool that the SI speaks of or not. I can' really see it that well but it looks like it is just a crows foot that is offset a bit. Would not a flex head ratchet with a socket of even the crows foot work just as well? I don't think that a water pump is really gonna turn out to be that hard and I don't mean to seem like I am making a big deal out of this. I just don't want to get into something that I don't have the right tool for if it really needs some off the wall one and not have it.Is that J41240 to remove the bolts or to hold the pulley in place while removing the bolts with another form of wrench or ratchet/socket?
Thanks again...
I uploaded a pic for the first time so I hope it turns out right...


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Hey,

Don't know what year your dealing with but I replaced my water pump on my '96. It's really pretty simple (especially after you've done it). Anyhow, if my memory serves me correctly, you need to remove the upper part of the shroud (its two pieces) but not the radiator. You'll also have to remove the belt. The tricky part here (at least for me on my '96) was to remove the fan/pulley from the pump itself. It has a very large nut (>1-1/4" I think). The auto parts store where I bought my pump from claimed they had the tools to loan out but after I looked at them, I knew they were not correct for my application. Luckily, at the time I was doing some of this type of work for a living and 'borrowed' some custom tools from work. Basically, it was a large fork (like an open end wrench) and a 'claw' like lever that hooked onto the bolts securing the pulley to the pump. As far as cost a dealership.... I'll SWAG it.... I paid ~$35 for the pump/gaskets, so the dealership will probably charge ~$60-70. They'll charge you at least 1hr of labor (maybe 2!). Shop materials, probably $10+. Bottom line, I think you'll be pushing $200. If your handy with tools and are comfortable potentially disabling your truck, its a job you could do yourself in your driveway. I'd plan on about double the 'shop time' if you find it listed anywhere. (Just reread my post - drain radiator, its a good time to flush it also, and disconnect the battery)

My $0.02,
Bob

 

Hi again,

You must have edited your post while I was writing.... Anyway, that is the tool that I wrote about. You need that to separate the fan clutch from the water pump - BEFORE you remove the pulley. It looks like that tool will hold the pump/pulley in place while you get a large open end wrench (or equivalent) to remove the nut on the clutch.

Bob

 

Okay, looks like the "hex spacer" that the fan in on is 1 3/8th" maybe or close to it. Just gonna take a 1 1/4" oprn end and Makita the crap out of it till it is a brand new 1 3/8th" open end to hold the beeatch in place to remove the FC, then WP.etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.
Hopefully I won't have any fu's.

 

I didn't use the special tool...I wish I could remember what I used instead, but I forget. I used a BIG adjustable wrench to get the fan off.
I did not remove my radiator, I removed the top part of the shroud to get at it.
Water pump is not that difficult, just take your time.

 

I used the serp belt to hold the fan in place to get the fan bolts off. Or you could buy a $20 strap wrench kit from Sears to do the same thing. No need for the special one time use tool.

Maybe someone should do a write up on this with pics and all. If noone has one done by thsi summer, I'll do one. I have to flush my coolant system, and typically replace the water pump, thermostat, upper and lower radiator hoses, plus heater hoses all at the asme time.

 

A write up with pics would be a great idea. I keep doing jobs on my cars, and wishing I had taken pics.
This site have a "tech" section with write ups like that.

 

I have been meaning to setup a Tech How-To section at some point, but haven't had the time as of yet.

 

I've found this fantastic set of manuals - it is for the Blazer (somewhere, they call it an Astro Van)

Astro Van Manuals - Water Pump

There's loads of good info in there

 

Hi All,

Last fall I replaced my water pump on my 96. Very messy job with the coolant thought. As described I removed the top fan shroud, air intake, belt and fan. To get the fan off I used a very large adjustable and a 2lb mechanics hammer. A couple of taps and it spun off.

Getting the rad and heater houses off was a pain in the butt also. I am a novice so it took me about 4 hours.

At the same time I changed the coolant and belt. Houses were OK, no cracking or inidcation they were worn but not a bad idea to change also.

M.