Rachet
Active Member
Hi guys, I'm about to pull the trigger on a 99-2000 Airtex water pump for my 1996 C3500. I am interested in all your opinions.
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Thank you Will L., I knew there had to be a better way. My truck will be laid up for a while because I'm doing an RV/Expedition build so I want to do the necessary upgrades for reliability and possible towing. I will be replacing the a/c compressor and the receiver dryer anyway. The truck currently has the old-style 4 bolt pump, fan clutch, and fan. Thank you for the sources.NOPE!
AC Delco spin on fanclutch style (not 4 stud mount). Idk that part number, but there are folks here that do.
these engines most commonly die from overheating.
Gm re engineered the waterpump multiple times before getting it right.
Aftermarket got these wrong for years and years. No reason to expect that they just figured it out recently.
If you have the 4 bolt/stud type currently, your fan clutch and fan will not work with the modern waterpump. The fanclutch has a normal life expectancy of 5 years. So now is probably a good time for that anyways since it is out.
What Fan blade do you have? Pics if you are not sure.
That might have to be swapped also.
If you have spin on already, then you could be ok to keep them, figuring coutch life of course.
If you have the dual thermostat crossover- install the restriction fitting now into the new waterpump. Leroy sells a wazoo one that will outlast the entire truck. N8in8or showed an excellent way to diy one for low cost.
If you have a single thermostat crossover, make sure it is a block off style and not one of the crappy hmmwv/ hummer ones that blow up more engines than an RPG can. Pics if not sure.
To the fan clutch and fan-while it is all out already is prime time to make the best upgrade for this yet. AK diesel driver did a thread showing how to do an electric viscous fan clutch. You can control the temperature it comes on to match your environment and use! You can tie it into the a/c system for better working a/c like modern vehicles. And he has been running his quite a while and it does something else the regular clutch can’t- it runs at 100% of pulley speed- the best of the other kind is 85%. Then his was running for a year and a half if I remember correctly and lost zero speed. The normal ones usually drop 5% by then.
You can also add a switch on the dash to force on incase you are going up a mountain or towing and know you are going to be fighting overheating so it will stay that problem.
one other feature that can be added but not needed unless you go off road crossing rivers- a switch can be added for “off” - you probably won’t add that one though- haha
draw backs to it: cost a little more, have to add a bot of wires and a relay.
To use a/c upgrade you need a Trinary switch and most gm pickups all had binary- so the r134a has to be recovered to change switch then recharged. But you don’t have to add this- it’s an option.
something I suspect but yet to be proven- the higher fan ratio cools faster so should be able to have more down time and improve mpg. @ak diesel driver have you noticed anything from that or did you even watch it? A link to your magical thread please?
There are vendors here like Twisted Steel Performance and Leroy Diesel that I believe (I have been wrong before) can order the proper water pump from GEP directly. Those are the AC DELCO pumps being sold to GEP for new optimizer builds.
@Rachet
Leroy is solid. Just to be clear- the set up from Leroy is the good GM set up-
but is not that wazoo electric controlled one that can do your a/c engagement.