Camaro Water Pump Replacement & Coolant System Flush - 4th Gen Fbody

[@TheDaninator]

How bad has your coolant looked?

[@jhuntosgarage]

Just like yours when I first got Oddball. 😌

[@DetroitMetroRetro]

Looks like i need to do my intake gaskets i have 4 bottles with like half an inch of oil on the top 😢

[@griffeth59]

I just replaced my belt tensioner omfg amazing along with new elbows I was having a major coolant leak I'm planning on doing my flush tomorrow this video really helped

[@BryanEnsign]

I just did the aluminum elbows today. The top one is leaking out of the gasket seal I guess. Super frustrating having that happen after putting it all back together.

[@DetroitMetroRetro]

Man i was doing a flush and the pump is weeping. Good thing Daninator is here

[@Sevalecan]

There is a ton of room on these cars in front of the engine. Other parts are not so easy to reach, but I'm doing my sister's water pump today, glad to know I don't need to move the power steering pump as one guy showed on the 95.

[@davidrowe5822]

First off: Fantastic video content! The audio is well done and the humor is spot on. This is textbook for a water pump replacement and the video details everything required to get ‘er done Feedback: I recommend removing the battery during the initial drain and flush. With all the water and metal tools in the vicinity of the battery, it’s a good idea to remove it. Plus, you get the benefit of inspecting the overflow tank for corrosion since the battery sits right on top. Question regarding the flushing: You opened the heater circuit which to me, seems like a mistake when flushing. Wouldn’t the contaminants make their way to the core and possibly clog it? I would think it’s risky to do when flushing but maybe there is a benefit I am unaware of. Another question: What would someone do if they had a completely failed pump (seized) in this situation? Since they can’t start the engine, what can they do to flush when the pump won’t move? It’s also likely that the impeller sent shrapnel through the system. In this scenario, how can the system be flushed? I think I know the answer which would be to drain system, remove seized pump, flush with pressurized hose, install new pump, fill system with flush chemicals, run engine, drain system, remove new pump and inspect, then reinstall, fill, flush, fill and drive. Is that the proper way? Lastly: You know you’re bad-ass when you work on a car with a crisp white TShirt. Hell yeah!

[@LuckySky777]

Thank you for the video. I would like to recommend getting a dash cover. They are plastic, fits right on top of the cracked dash and its such a good fit you can hardly tell its just a cover. people dont notice unless I point it out. only 50$ from ebay. It makes the car look fresh

[@chemicalspore]

No cataract converter joke? How did your car not over heat with all that Mississippi mud running through its veins?

[@TheDaninator]

It's beyond me!! It ran at perfect temperature.

[@chemicalspore]

@@TheDaninator Chevy power

[@TheDaninator]

@@chemicalspore YEAH BUDDY!

[@stevenbaker5099]

DexKill/DexClog strikes again.

[@CplCheeto]

because the Buick 3800 is the LS of the v6 powerplants. nearly indestructible. seen one go 150k miles without a oil change and had no issues, I wouldn't go that long but apparently it's possible with these. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Billy_Tyson250]

Since I have literally the same exact car with the same exact issue that just started with the water pump and the coolant looks exactly like that, very VERY helpful video!

[@scottschmidtmann2540]

You made that look easy!

[@TheDaninator]

Thanks, it’s a simple design with plenty of room to work! Can’t beat that. 😎👍

[@jacktorse2145]

IMO the reason you've got all that brown sludge was the Dexcool completely broke down from not being changed in probably the last 10 years. Next up will be the upper and lower intake manifold gaskets that get eaten away by the corrosive old Dexcool, which is also probably why your water pump started leaking. It is amazing how with changing the Dexcool early and often, none of these 90s and 00 GM cars would have cooling system problems.

[@thrillbilly9785]

May need to investigate a head gasket leak. How does your oil look? My truck has the sludge problem.

[@TheDaninator]

Oil is clean as a whistle. I think the previous owner mixed incompatible coolants.

[@thrillbilly9785]

@@TheDaninator be thankful that’s all. Starting in on the truck engine swap soon. 😬

[@TheDaninator]

@@thrillbilly9785 The footage of this repair was from 2018. Just now got around to making the video. It's coming due for another coolant flush in about 8 months. LOL

[@thrillbilly9785]

@@TheDaninator blast from your past! 🤪

[@gabrielgarza3707]

Soo on the bleeder screw? Do you need to open it while the engine is running or when it’s off and just add coolant to the radiator and not worry from bleeding from the radiator cap?

[@stevenbaker5099]

You can either open it before you start if once you have it running. Once a stream of coolant comes out, you then tighten it.

[@jameshall4385]

That has to be the easiest water pump replacement ever

[@TheDaninator]

Yep. Can’t wait to replace the water pump on my truck. It’s started leaking.

[@3Wheels1Block]

@@TheDaninator eeeek 😬

[@3Wheels1Block]

Sheeze that coolant rushing sound made me have to pause the video to pee 😅. That coolant system was pretty nasty, I'm not gonna lie, I've had some that looked like that before. Nice work 👍🏾... It's not often we get an easy water pump replacement 😅

[@TheDaninator]

This was the nastiest coolant I’ve seen. Pretty easy set up on this car to fix it!

[@DomeChrome-nm3zn]

I have the same exact car with coolant leaking behind the alternator on top of the engine what can be causing that?

[@TheDaninator]

It could be a bad head gasket, heater core hose leak, intake gasket maybe?

[@leeg2787]

You didn't have to put sealant on the bolts?

[@dragonslayer21]

Is it safe to add coolent to a hot engine after I pour some new in. I just did a coolent flush on mine

[@GabrielTheGuitarist]

How come you didn’t reverse flow/flush the heater core?

[@keyaunfranks2787]

I did a coolant and flush and now she runs hot right in the middle and I don’t know why or what’s going on she’s used to run at like 180

[@TheDaninator]

@@keyaunfranks2787 a common reason is there is possibly an air pocket that needs to be burped out

[@keyaunfranks2787]

@@TheDaninator I opened bleeder valve I let her burned out I still don’t understand

[@DetroitMetroRetro]

Is your fan running? I have a 180 tstat and it will only stay there with the fan on high

[@stvlu733]

I have a a 99 Firebird 3.8 with a coolant leak. I'm not getting any white smoke from the tailpipe or any build up of residue on the oil cap, the older oil was not milky or thick and the new oil thats been run for a thousand miles already looks normal so its not a blown head gasket since I replaced those in 2016 or 10k mi ago without issues. I'm wondering if its the entire water pump assembly or just the impeller and front cover. The cover gasket seems dry all around but the rest of the assembly behind the entire pump is wet on the left side behind. All parts are wet underneath the pump ans surrounding such as the oil filter mount and frame. This is more than a drip and leaves big puddles if idling for awile. The engine had a momentary overheat due to ? but I didn't run the car that long or let it get too hot. Maybe there was air in the system or a falty thermostat. Do you think I could have blown the gasket on the water pump because of the overheat or maybe the bearings are failing and allowing water to creep though the shafts? I've been driving mostly in cold weather when this happened. I wa unusually warm today when I noticed all of this. I am now seeing smaller puddles at times that are only 4" here and there and then before they where at 10". Maybe it's becase I'm not idling. Any bit of information would be helpful to determining the source of the leak. Thanks in advance Steve

[@LuckySky777]

Did you resolve this issue? If so then what was it and what did you do? i also have a 99 bird with the same problem. my car is not overheating, just leaking.

[@stvlu733]

@LuckySky777 I took the wimpy 3.8 out and dropped in a LS1 with a few minor fittings and modifications. Runs great!

[@Smitty1776]

Where’s that V8 swap?