I was driving on the freeway today and I noticed that my temp gauge was at 3/4ths and I had an overheat... I pulled over and before having it towed I took a quick look underneath. Near the water pump and on near the radiator cap there was a lot of water but the actual radiator cap and the thermostat housing was dry. Not sure if its just the water pump or a radiator or maybe a hose or two but I am definitely changing the water pump and also the fan clutch while I am doing that cuz it makes a noise during start ups..
Looking at rock auto I see that the OEMs are much more expensive and I am wondering if there are any of the aftermarket brands that can be nearly as good as the AC delcos.

For the water pump OEM is 150. AC Delco professional 50, the rest go from 26-36 and include brands like Cardone, bosch, Gates, and pronto

For the Fan Clutch the AC Delcos are 75-100. Hayden for 25, Four seasons for 50.

Any recommendations on which to get? I have never put anything non AC Delco on this car but hey if theres anything besides that works just as good I dont really mind.

2001 Blazer by the way

 

It is common for these to make a roaring sound from the fan when the engine is first started or for the first little bit of driving. If the roaring sound goes away, I would not worry about the fan clutch.

As for replacement parts, that is really up to you. If you are doing things like the injectors, plugs, wires cap and rotor, or the fuel pump (basically anything fuel or ignition related) stick to DELCO or Delphi or you will be paying very quickly.

 

Oh I thought it was a sign that it is going bad(the fan clutch sound)
I see, if thats the case then ill look for something over at oreillys or autozone if they offer a good warranty. Thanks for the input!

Also since you brought up the fuel pump and fuel system another question popped up in my mind.
I have a fuel gauge problem and when it the fuel level goes below 1/4th it starts giving false readings. When I did an advanced scan a code came up saying that the fuel level sensor voltage was high... but people say you are supposed to change the fuel sending unit to fix the fuel gauge problem. So is it the fuel sending unit or just the sensor would suffice as well? Or does the fuel sending unit come with the sensor on it?
Also when searching on rock auto the fuel pump and the fuel sending unit look exactly the same.... Whats the difference? Sorry if thats too dumb of a question to ask

 

The fuel sending unit sends the signal to the cluster to show you how much fuel is in the tank.

Sometimes there is a ground issue that can cause a wrong reading, but that usually would either be a empty of a completely full reading.

With it getting below a certain reading is pretty likely that it is the sending unit.

As for the sending unit and the fuel pump looking the same on rock auto that I am not sure on since I have a first gen and not a second.

But looking on their site, it looks like you can just get the fuel level sensor for the sending unit for about 90 bucks.

 

I think I have the ground issue as well. In the past week its just been down on 0 most of the time even after filling it up full.
Where do I need to look to fix the ground issue given that there is any?

Also I'd really appreaciate someone more knowledgable about this matter to tell me about what exactly I need to buy

Fuel pump:
More Information for ACDELCO MU1733

Fuel level sensor:
More Information for ACDELCO SK1186

Fuel sending unit:
More Information for DORMAN 2630305


It seems like the fuel sending unit + Fuel level sensor = Fuel pump... so do I just order the fuel pump? In the picture it seems to have everything included that is in the other listings. This thing is very confusing...

 

I have noticed with my truck that if the rank gets just under 1/8 and I go down a hill, bad stuff happens. The pump is located towards the rear of the tank and the gas goes to the front effectively killing my engine. Not good when on a hill in traffic!

 

The middle link is the actual float and sensor, it slides into the existing fuel pump/sending unit "module" to replace the bad one. If that is all that's bad, it will be your cheapest fix. The other two are the complete unit including the pump and the sensor, it replaces everything in the tank and you need nothing else. No experience with Dorman fuel pumps, but having had no luck with any aftermarket pumps except for Bosch I would go with the OEM one if you want to go that route. If you have high mileage, replacing the pump now is preventive maintenance.


I would trace down the ground wire and fix that before pulling the tank.

 

re:non ac delco alternatives?

I`ve been a (Do it yourselfer) going on 24 yrs. now.I`ve learned alot thanks to my father.But as far as buyingAc Delco parts goes?Don`t do it.It depends on what part your buying.Only time I buy Gm parts, is when I need to replace a tail light lense,or other body parts Etc.EtcLike buying gm brakes, shocks, fuel pumps don`t do it.You have to keep in mind.When you purchase a brand new Gm vehicle..Gm installs the cheapest crap they get their hands on.These parts are made to fail.GM makes more money on parts more than anything,Ex;you purchase a brand new chevy full size pickup for $30,000.You take that same vehicle and write down how much every single part cost plus labor to install them.That price would be way more money than you originally first bought the truck.I`m big fan on after market parts(not aftermarket body parts) Their much better made,last alot longer compared to the crappy delco parts.I`ve had an account with(Summit racing.com) going on 24 yrs now.They have alot of parts for any vehicle.You have alot more options than just buying ac delco parts.You get what you pay for with anything in life.You have to do your homework before you make the decision on buying anything always.You want to but a water pump?look for reviews on that name brand part.God forbid never buy autozone mechanical parts.Sure they back up their parts with a lifetime warranty.But they don`t cover the labor when their cheap parts fail.Years ago I had purchased a auto zone battery.I had to return that battery 5 times with the name of(Duralast) After the 5th battery, I told them"Forget it, I want my money back!" So I had to fork over another $50 to go an purchase a real battery.I bought the(Interstate) battery.

 

I checked out summit racing and saw their preformed suspension parts and they look good and they are pricey as well, have u tried them by any chance. I need to redo my front end and I don't wanna spend money in the moog products really. Changed my bushings 10k miles ago with them and they are smoked.

 

No I haven`t bought any front end parts from summit.I was told from another forum member that they stand by Moog products.Moog is a made in china but distributed through out the U.S. and canada.What kind of bushings are you talking about that only lasted 10K miles?