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Canadian Poncho Homepage -> Canadian Poncho -> The Lounge -> Remember the days when a water pump job was $40 and 30 minutes?
Post Info TOPIC: Remember the days when a water pump job was $40 and 30 minutes?
73SC


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Remember the days when a water pump job was $40 and 30 minutes?
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My Cadillac DTS with the High Output Northstar decided to get a little too hot on the way home from work last week. I pulled it over and shut it down and quickly saw a smouldering mess under the hood, a seized water pump burned belt and melted pulleys and tensioner. Not a good look but at the same time very repairable and no damage to engine done. 

The problem with the last generation Northstar is that all the demons of the prior versions had been fixed and what once was a relatively easy water pump replacement had become a nightmare.

GM dealer does not stock Northstar HO engine parts in Canada so its a two day wait on this stuff either stateside or Woodstock which can be one day. Funnily my parts guy does have the parts, all but one. GM dealer quotes just under $900 for the pump, pulley, tensioner gaskets and I ask for new water neck and housing too. My parts guy gets me everything except housing for under $400, I have to pony up $109 at dealer and the wait for the housing. GM dealer is not used to Cadillac owner doing his own work but they are understanding and print me off the exploded view and procedure.....its a 3 hour job !

So literally we are tearing down the front part of the engine, disconnecting intake and throttle body, disconnecting fuel rail, moving the computer,and disassembling pretty much the entire induction system just to get at what is described as the water cross over pipe which houses the water pump. The crossover has to come off and from the rear of that part the water pump is unbolted and removed. By the time we get this far the entire trunk is full of parts taken off the engine and I've got a 10 oz plastic cup full of bolts and fasteners. I got at least 8 new gaskets and these things are not cheap but are things of engineering beauty, no sense reusing gaskets with 150,000 km on them.Its been a week now buying parts and working on it in the time I can afford to do it. So I just tow it to my friends shop and ask him to put it back together. What a PITA!

I do have complete respect for this engine though, it is remarkable engineering and it is easy to see that it started life as a racing engine, light and compact package but not efficient nor inexpensive to work on for the backyard mechanic. 



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Ray White, Toronto ON

Formerly - The one and only 1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"

Built March 9, 1973 - Oshawa ON

1993 Corvette Convertible LT 1

Built January 10, 1993 - Bowling Green Kentucky 

 
poncho62


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Hanover, Ont

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MC


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I do sometimes long for the days when cars were so much more simple to repair.

Don't get me wrong, newer cars have a lot of great engineering in them, and can do things we only dreamed of in terms of power and emissions per displacement, etc.

The new ones are engineered with priority for packaging due to space limitations, and for ease of assembly at the factory, and not for repair generally.



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beaucarlo


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is that the same marine-motor with the starter mounted under the intake manifold?....and i thought replacing #7 spark plug was a pita on a V8 Vega...(had to undo the left motor mount & jack the engine up)

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bob lewis
73SC


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beaucarlo wrote:

is that the same marine-motor with the starter mounted under the intake manifold?....and i thought replacing #7 spark plug was a pita on a V8 Vega...(had to undo the left motor mount & jack the engine up)

 Yes starter in the valley under the intake, personally I like that design because it keeps the starter nice and clean and away from corrosion but it is a an interesting repair. I too had a V8 Monza/Vega and I made a tool for spark plug removal and bored a hole in the inner fender for access. I figured turning the wheel full lock was easier than jacking up the engine.

 



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Ray White, Toronto ON

Formerly - The one and only 1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"

Built March 9, 1973 - Oshawa ON

1993 Corvette Convertible LT 1

Built January 10, 1993 - Bowling Green Kentucky 

 
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