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Testing water pump

7K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  LAC Sky 
#1 ·
I am having an overheating issue and I am starting to think that my water pump isn't working right. It seems like I'm just not getting water flow on the back side of the pump. Can I just take the line off that runs from the tube on the back of the water pump to the heater core and see if I am getting any flow?

Things I have tried -
What's in the DDM bleeding video
What's in the MikeMartin bleeding video
Bought a vacuum fill tool and used that
Replaced thermostat (that does appear to have been stuck, when I put it in water it didn't open until the water was at a rolling boil)

I am wondering if something like this happened:
https://www.skyroadster.com/forums/f24/really-bad-news-84866/index3.html#post1191826

No matter what I do I don't get any heat, either.

Thanks,
Douglas
 
#6 ·
Water Pump Whine

I just had my water pump replaced after finding a large puddle of coolant in the garage in the morning. Left it with a local mechanic. When I picked it up and started it the dreaded whining was there. I gave him the keys back and said the timing chain tensioner needs to be reset (as per the various feeds on this and other forums). He said to just drive it and it will get better. I said I'll send you the feeds, TSB and various other material when I get home. Still waiting to hear from him.
 
#7 ·
I just had my water pump replaced after finding a large puddle of coolant in the garage in the morning. Left it with a local mechanic. When I picked it up and started it the dreaded whining was there. I gave him the keys back and said the timing chain tensioner needs to be reset (as per the various feeds on this and other forums). He said to just drive it and it will get better. I said I'll send you the feeds, TSB and various other material when I get home. Still waiting to hear from him.
That's the thing, mine isn't leaking or else I would be just replacing the water pump.
 
#11 ·
A little off track question but as the second owner of a 2007 Sky redline that I purchased from a dealer several states away from me, is there an obvious way to tell if my water pump was previously replaced? I do not have the prior service records and the car is around 40k miles.

Thanks
 
#12 ·
If the water pump was replaced by a GM dealer, it should show up if a current GM dealer searches the service history. If it was replaced at a non-GM service site it may show up on a carfax report.

Who knows? you may get lucky, you may not!

:dunno:

.
 
#15 ·
So I took the hose that runs from the tube that runs from the tube that runs under the turbo to the heater core, started the car and no coolant came out.

Hooked up the vacuum bleeder, made all kinds of gurgling noises from that hose and when I plugged it with my finger there was suction.

Filled the hole with coolant until it started to dribble out of the heater core, put the hose back on and started the car. Let it warm up to 130 or so and no warm air out of the heater.

Out of ideas as to what to check at this point outside of starting to tear it down to replace the water pump...
 

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#19 ·
Ok, so back on topic.... the chain on the water pump shouldn't be loose, right? I can't really see in there but I reached in and wiggled the chain... and it was definitely not tight. I figured it should be under tension.

I'm thinking the issue isn't my water pump but the chain that drives it or the sprocket on the other end... same type of issue that TonyRedline had. Just crazy that I'd have the issue at basically exactly the same time. I also had a cam adjuster fail just before this all happened, just like he had right afterwards...
 
#26 ·
I ended up replacing my water pump, balance shaft chain setup and the timing chain.

Parts I used from my 2007 Sky's (~40k mileage) that has a hurt #1 piston and getting a full replacement engine:
Balance crankshaft sprocket
Camshaft sprockets/phasers
Crankshaft timing sprocket

Parts I bought:

Summit Racing:
Timing chain set - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/clo-9-4201sx
Balance chain set - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/clo-9-4202s
Timing cover gasket kit - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-tcs46079
Valve cover gasket - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-vs50778r
Camshaft bolts - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rnb-74114

Ebay:
Water pump - https://www.ebay.com/itm/322837746357

Local dealership:
Balancer/Dampener bolt - GM pn 11589123

O'Reilly Auto:
Universal Coolant, 2 gallons

Grocery Store:
Distilled water. 2 gallons

Total spent: $337

Had I bought new instead of using the lower mileage parts it would have been another ~$310 plus shipping and tax as the crank pulley is $20, the cam phasers are around $100 each and the balance crankshaft sprocket (pn 12642713) is another $90.

Here is the video that I followed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hScoa75q7A It also has part numbers. Only thing I did different was installing the timing chain tensioner guide before I installed the chain. I couldn't get the tensioner to go in after the chain had been installed and it wasn't really in the way doing anything else. I also needed a second person to finally get the timing chain aligned properly. Mostly she held the intake camshaft while I rotated and aligned the exhaust sprocket but 3 hands where needed.

I did buy the balance shaft kit with sprockets, but the crankshaft one is wrong. I knew that when I bought it, but I wanted the two other sprockets that go on the balance shafts. For the timing chain I did not buy the kit with sprockets because the only sprocket in the kit that does me any good is the crankshaft one and it was enough more expensive that it wasn't worth it.

The OEM 2007 balance shaft sprocket is not marked at the same point as the Cloyes replacement. The Cloyes is marked 180 degrees from the key way while the factory one was marked one tooth off from 180. This meant that I had to make some adjustments to how I aligned it as it meant that the chain was not marked the same as the factory one. Not complicated but it took me a bit to figure out why I couldn't get things aligned properly. I think new replacements are marked the same as the Cloyes as one of the videos I watched had it at the straight down position. I'm pretty sure everything is aligned correctly as my engine is very smooth, like so smooth that when I came to a stop after driving for a bit I thought that the car had died.

Total time invested in fixing the car... a lot. The tools are rather straight forward except for the 32mm socket for the timing chain tensioner, 10mm hex for the plug on the front of the engine and a 15/16th wrench for the camshafts (an adjustable wrench could be easily used). However, after seeing what TonyRedLine spent, $2700, it was worth the savings. I didn't even jack up the car to do it, the only things I did from underneath was open the radiator petcock to drain the system. I did not take off the hood but it would have made things easier, as the hood was off of my 2007 and it was a lot faster to disassemble.

Last is that it turned out to be a great time to do some maintenance type items. I think the spark plugs may have been stock... they had a GM part number on them and were a pain to get broken loose. I replaced them with a set of AC Delco's I had bought when troubleshooting my 07. Serpentine belt was in bad shape with deep cracks. The power steering belt wasn't in as bad as shape but it also got replaced. My upper radiator hose also had a hole worn in it from the cooling fan shroud that may have turned into a leak shortly. All these items actually came off of the 07 to give me time to get another Summit Racing order together. I noticed that the Continental radiator hose actually has a protective sleeve on it to avoid what happened to my factory hose. I'll be doing an oil change once my new oil filters get here as I had done one right before this all happened, but it's cheap and I'll sleep better. My air filter was also gross so I ordered a new AC Delco one, but didn't have a spare from the 07 as it has an aftermarket intake.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Good Job there. Mission accomplished. Patting one's self on the back for persistence and saving massive bucks to
the bottom line for this type of repair to our model. Documented, part #'s, photo evidence of repair in progress, costs,
and frustration factor by owner/operator/mechanic in charge another successful operation performed. WD. Have a beer on me.

BUT... lol. Saving the big cost by the DYI has it's drawbacks. While another member here spent the Big bucks at $2700. for this
same job... you had some advantage by having a donor car/motor apart for this replacement. That helps. Not every owner will
have this advantage or cost saving measure for this repair. Time involved and the huge savings in parts costs for the timing chain,
tensioners, sprockets, guides, bolts, etc. Combining OEM parts, new/used with aftermarket parts is tricky as you found out. Glad
that things are running so "smoothly " in your motor now. It purrs like a kitten now, like from the factory day one. That takes care of the mechanicals in the motor dept.

Now moving on the cooling part Water pump replacement. Sooner or later this will go on our model. Mark calander date here moment. Cooling the motor parts, new & recently replaced ones is key here to long life in your motor,
miles of smiles, along with oil/filter changes. Oil & Coolant key fluids for continuing permagrin status in your future.
Finding the other items that need maintenance here too along the way, the odd hose or belt, plug change, air filter changed,and anything else while the motor is a part. That peace of mind reassurance that when your out there in the boonies,
carving up the twisty's.. you don't want something minor ( I knew I should have replaced the belt ) to go wrong after a time consuming repair job whatever the cost is to you and getting your Kappa back on the asphalt.


Glad you completed the task at hand, solved the problems along the way and are now...it's back to the asphalt for this Kappa.
Nothing else like it, the pride of satisfaction for job completed, I can drive it again! Ye Ha moment. We're Back.

It's pain when you can't go cruising in your Sky. In the shop, down for repairs, parts on order, shipment due soon.
I mentioned Time involved in this repair here by our member. A lot.
In the driveway/garage or at the dealer... down time is no fun time. What do you mean.. no smiles for me
for the next... few days, weeks... months?
It's gonna cost how much to fix this? Holy sh*t. Gulp.. never a fun moment in any drivers lifetime.
Whether you are providing the credit card $$$ or to the sweat, busted knuckles, I have to buy another tool again
for this repair... it pays off in the end, when "you" drive off into the wild blue err black asphalt landscape.

I have enjoyed two trips recently in my Sky. Yesterday's interstate blast for coffee & doughnuts breakfast with friends.
Yeah.. I did blip the throttle couple of times, scooting around the tractor trailers.
45 minutes down, 45 minutes there, 45 minutes back home.
Turbo test successful. Check. Fluids good? Check.
Tire pressures good too? Yep. 85 mile trip on the odo. Car can sleep for a few days now.

The day long run to Conowingo Dam ( June 26th ) was a pleasure for me. See text read in album section on profile page of this trip. I had never been to this spot in my home state before. Bingo. That box is now checked off the my To Do List.
Just went for it... Go-Pro, cold drink... keys... 7 1/2 hrs. 204 miles later, smiling ear to ear. Beautiful countryside cruise.
It's why I bought the car in the first place to drive to locations like this one, for the day, for a weekend getaway,
or the road trip to points unknown destinations. Throw a dart at the map... that's the destination for this weekends cruise.

Reviewing video footage now ( 2 selected ) for LAC Films You-Tube site posting soon of this trip, later this month I hope?
Adding two new roads ( real corkers with twisty's) also with this update to You-Tube for the Back Roads of Washington County series, with at least one of these road videos.. that hopefully has at "road level cam" down low view!
Been wanting to try this out with the Go-Pro and the Kappa.
Stay tuned this month profile page for link updates for these 4 new videos coming to LAC Films soon gang.


The road is calling to you... Can you & your Kappa come out and play today?
Unless your Kappa is down for repairs.. that is? Every car owner hates this part of car/truck vehicle relationship/ownership.
The down time... comes with the territory and cost $$$ of you the owner/operator.

Through the Good times and Bad... through the inexpensive quick fix (that was fast 5 minutes, $5.00 let's drive),
to the time consuming job( a month's worth ) costing a right arm and left leg ( dangerous territory to your credit card or your
significant others relationship status ) to get back out there on the asphalt... where we belong! It's Turn and Burn time.
Asphalt matters to some of us... comes with a cost and down time involved, your results will vary.


LAC.
 
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