I have a piece if crap 98 Chevy S-10 PU. Need to replace the water pump with AC. Any tips? Was told the fan was a beatch to remove.
I have replaced the serpentine belt before.....so I'm familiar with that part of it.
Just took it into the dealer...had a bad U joint. He gave me a list of stuff that needed to be replaced...with a price list that came to $700!!!!
Yesterdays bill read : Parts = $40, Labor = $175. I feel like I have been robbed. The truck MIGHT be worth $1200, so there was no way I was going to spend the $700.
I elected to do the water pump and radiator flush myself. What am I in for???

Water pump is not bad to do. Does the fan look like it's scewed right onto the water pump? Has a big nut in center? Was the u-joint you had replaced a front axle joint? If so, they can be a bitch to do, have to remove front hub and axle to get at it. I've done a ton of them.
Wish my body wasn't so f-ed up right now, I'd do it for ya.

Buy one of those Chilton manuals or Haines manuals for the truck. Very good info in them. Just take your time and you'll be fine. Remember to get new gaskets and sealant for it while you're at the parts store. Won't be bad, changed the one on my Jeep in an hour or so. Oh ya, get lots of coolant. Gonna need that

Yeah, and make sure u mix coolant 50/50 with H2O:boots:

I don't plan to have the truck too much longer. I am basically patching what I need to in order to keep it on the road. Hope to have it for another month or two. I am just trying to avoid the big ticket fixes.
The dealer replaced the U joint on the driveshaft yesterday.....

I am also going to check the library to see if they have a set of those manuals....(can't remember the last time I went there)...DUH.

When I do the water pump I plan on doing a radiator flush as well. lots of coolant.
Thanks for the tips. I'm saving myself about $250 doing it myself.

Mugz,

Look at it this way. Like you I have an old truck... '91 Dakota....spending 500 to 700 on ocassion to keep it going reliable.

The way I look at it, it is allot cheaper than a new truck loan payment at $400 a month.

You can just buy the coolant premixed, same price too. A little easier that way. The manuals are $20 and the info in them will save you lots of cake. My manual has kept my Jeep going and extra year already and I don't see it being replaced too soon.

Job is done.......wasn't as bad as I thought.......BUT.......
I took everything apart so I could get to the water pump. Inspected it and there wasn't a leak around it (like the dude at the dealer warned!!). He told me that since it's leaking the spindle on the inside was trashed..........NOT THE CASE. The thing spun fine!!!
I called the dealer and couldn't get the service manager, they said he wasn't there. I'll give him an earful tomorrow. They tried bilking me on $700 for something that wasn't broke???!!!!!! I have some mechanical sense so I'm not a fool.
Replaced the thermostat, serpentine belt and flushed the radiator. All back together and running fine....:kewl:
Thanks for the tips.

Was there any wetness / run off marks around the hole where the pump shaft goes through the housing? Coolant can leak past the bearing once worn. Usually first sign of impending doom...

When the water pump leaks it leaks out the vent hole,,When you you take it out its not visible..(ie a crack) Only visible when a pressure check is made...

I did some research about this and they actually had a Manual (unwrapped) at the auto parts store that I looked at. Talked about the "weap hole"...NOT A LEAK, NO WATER or SIGNS OF Leakage!!!

Bearing was fine inside. I have some experience with bearings and this was fine. The guy was Bullsh!ting me.......

Now I have no heat in my truck.......what did I do wrong?

thermostat is either in backwards or stuck open.

I followed the directions on the box......not in backwards. But I'll check it.

Now I have no heat in my truck.......what did I do wrong?
You most likely have an air pocket in the system somewhere.
Does that thing have a bleeder screw somewhere? Usuall mounted somewhere at a high point in the cooling system. If no bleeder screw, let the engine cool down so u don;t get burnt and pull off a heater hose and pour some coolant into radiator untill it purges all air out, sometimes it has to be done a few times. Air can be a bitch to get out on some vehicles. OH, do it with the engine off..Or you'll have a huge mess.

That very well could be it!!!! Seemed like the system didn't take as much as what came out. Must be an air bubble. Good thing I thought to bring the gallon of Antifreeze with me. That's probably it......even though I feel stupid, I'm glad it's something stupid....I hope.

This is why we use an "air lift" to fill the system!
It pulls a vacuum in the cooling system collapsing the hoses and s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g the coolant in with NO air pockets..

Tried getting the bubble out....nada. Will it eventually work it's way out? I tried releasing a hose a little to let air out while I squeezed the hoses. Worked a little. No bleader valve. I know this because I completely removed the radiator when I flushed it.
I get a little heat then it goes away in a minute or two.
Just tell me it's not the heater core.

Are the heater hoses getting hot? If just one is hot, the core could be blocked, if neither are hot, you may still have an air pocket stopping circulation.

I'll try that.....I don't even know where the freakin heater core is.....
I'll look for it. If I don't get this thing fixed today after work, I have a big hammer, I've been dying to swing.
Thanks for the tips....

How'd you make out?

My wife had a 96 blazer for 6 years. Had that orange antifreeze in it which was a nightmare. At first it started overheating. So we kept adding coolant mix. Problem goes away. (no visible leaks) Then it starts again. I took off the radiator cap and it looked like someone had packed mud in the radiator. Literally dry brown crud. Took it to the dealership and they flushed it out, replaced radiator and thermostat. Most of it was covered by warrantee. A couple of years go by and it starts again. Bring it to my local mechanic and he flushes it out again and switches over to regular antifreeze. Everything goes fine for 2 or 3 more years when it starts overheating. This time the water pump is leaking (or so I thought)> I replaced the waterpump, thermostat and hoses. Seems fine for a while them overheating comes back. No leaks that I can see so she drives it adding antifreeze as needed. Well after a few months of this I take it to the mechanic and he looks at it. "plenum is leaking" I say ok how much to fix it. "around 800 bux":wall: Needless to say I traded it in and got her another vehicle.

The mechanic told me the plenum is made of plastic and they tend to develop leaks after a few years. Most of the price is do to labor as they have to remove all the crap that is bolted on above it. He also said the antifreeze turning brown was quite common on these motors when air gets into the system causing it to be contaminated.

I has a S10 and the only way I got the air out was to drain all fluid out again, run the motor to get as mush out as possible with out over heating!
Drive up on ramps so the nose is in the air, start motor and start adding fluid slow till full, air lock should be gone.
worked on both my S10, will never own another!!