Water Pump

As I'm sure I've mentioned, this car only had 150,000k on it when I got it. Given the condition of some of the components, like the water pump, I could only conclude that they're original to the car. Does that mean the water pump needs replacing? No, but I'm already doing a bunch of other stuff, so it's smart to eliminate a source of failure.

Additionally, these old cars get hot... third gen Camaro especially so. There's not a lot of room up front for the car to breathe so it needs all the help it can get staying cool. I was able to find this AC Delco water pump at Rock Auto, and I like using original equipment when possible. more here

Changing out a water pump is a pretty basic task, but a messy one. You have to drain the coolant, and I find that no matter how well you drain it, there's always more. When I pulled the old water pump off it made one hell of a mess, it's a good thing I have a mat down to protect the floor. more here

The water pump is held on by 4 bolts, but not so fast. The cooling fan and the alternator need to be moved out of the way, as does the power steering reservoir. Disconnect the radiator hoses, and the line going to the heater core and you're ready to remove the pump. Once the pump is off, I cleaned the mating surface, and cleaned out the bolt holes. Assembly is just the reverse. I of course used the correct gaskets, but I also used some Permatex Ultra Black. Do you need to use this stuff? Some say no, I decided to play it safe, it's my first water pump. more here

The torque specifications for the water pump bolts is 30lbs. I do 10, 20, then 30, and I do that in a crisscrossing pattern.