Cracked, NEW AC Delco water pump

[Piratehunter]

check similar water pump failures in this thread... https://www.gmt400.com/threads/vortec-7-4-keeps-blowing-up-water-pumps.60836/

 

[Schurkey]

^^^ Yup.

FIRST things I'd be checking are the fan and fan clutch.
SECOND things I'd be checking are the pulleys, for being bent. Does the tensioner wiggle back and forth?

 

[GAnthony]

I don’t understand that either. Was mostly just an example. I don’t have much faith in garbage made today.

I agree

 

[GAnthony]

check similar water pump failures in this thread... https://www.gmt400.com/threads/vortec-7-4-keeps-blowing-up-water-pumps.60836/

I read through that thread and a light bulb went on. That truck had a left front collision on the carfax (I bought the truck last spring). Core support and radiator are not the factory units. I replaced the radiator because the drain spout is solid molded with no hole, so the cheap petcock has to be removed entirely to drain the coolant. long story short, the petcock ears ended up breaking off as the petcock was a very tight fit. The core support has a "Made in Taiwan" decal on it. The fan and clutch could be a cheap replacement as well. I am going to replace them along with the pump this time. Thank you for that thread referral!

^^^ Yup.

FIRST things I'd be checking are the fan and fan clutch.
SECOND things I'd be checking are the pulleys, for being bent. Does the tensioner wiggle back and forth?

Everything appeared to run smoothly to my recollection. I'll be replacing the fan and fan clutch this time around.

I was running it hard on that test drive, which aligns with that water pump failure thread and his experiences at 4000rpm.

 

[GAnthony]

Well, anybody have a link or a reference for a fan? Rock auto lists the clutch but not a fan. If there's a cross reference that somebody knows of, please share. Summit sells 11 blade plastic fans but they're listed for the 5.7L and I don't know if they would move enough air?? Or if they mount to the clutch properly.

 

[Caman96]

That description says "clockwise rotation". I need reverse rotation or counter clockwise. Or am I missing something?

It’s for a marine motor.

 

[454cid]

Well, anybody have a link or a reference for a fan? Rock auto lists the clutch but not a fan. If there's a cross reference that somebody knows of, please share. Summit sells 11 blade plastic fans but they're listed for the 5.7L and I don't know if they would move enough air?? Or if they mount to the clutch properly.

New cooling fan installed

I found a good deal on an OEM 11-blade fan on ebay. I got it installed yesterday.... no shroud for now. I've had it off for awhile, as here in MI it's not super necessary. I already had the original 9-blade fan off the truck from when I did the water pump. I installed the studs into the...

www.gmt400.com

 

[GAnthony]

New cooling fan installed

I found a good deal on an OEM 11-blade fan on ebay. I got it installed yesterday.... no shroud for now. I've had it off for awhile, as here in MI it's not super necessary. I already had the original 9-blade fan off the truck from when I did the water pump. I installed the studs into the...

www.gmt400.com

Got it in my cart. Thank you again!

 

[GAnthony]

I want to post an update and some more pics. If the fan clutch I purchased was GM original, as stated in the Rock Auto description (and I have no reason to believe it isn't), then mine was not original. The fan, I don't know because I replaced the 9 blade steel with an 11 blade plastic. A very notable difference on the GM original water pump I bought is a casting rib by each of 3 of the mounting holes (the forth hole has the water pump inlet in the way of casting a rib into it). The water pump that cracked (BTW, BOTH sides were cracked) did not have these casting ribs, nor did the weeping pump I set out to replace during this fiasco. Anyway, here are some pics for comparison. I flogged the truck a bit on the test drive and nothing blew apart, so hopefully it's fixed

 

[GAnthony]

More pics