New water pump and fan clutch? SOLVED

[Merc1973]

At 309k miles I am ready for my 3rd water pump. The bearings are loud I thought it was my alternator so I change that, apparently those bearings were all so trashed so its not as loud, but i can tell by spinning water pump pulley by hand those bearings are also on their way out.

Since the fan clutch has to come off I might as well get a new one. I am confused on the RockAuto descriptions especially when it comes to reverse rotation. What does that even mean? I have the tow package and automatic rear AC in mine so I need a decent clutch but not the severe duty one that is locked all the time. Is there one that people recommend?

Also, Which water pump? Gates, Ac Delco pro or AcDelco OEM?

 

[rockola1971]

I just did this on my 2003 SLT late last year. Honestly as far as brand of water pump...who cares. Buy what you can afford. If you can pay the premium then get OEM. Me personally because I didnt have the time to wait for a delivery I just drove to the nearest autozone and bought a kit which had the pump and fan clutch in the box. If you order on rockauto just buy whatever price range fits your budget and fits your specific RPO codes that are listed in descriptions of their parts. Reverse rotation means just that, the pump is driven in reverse direction of standard rotation. Certain RPO packages would have this for whatever reason and the reverse rotation is accomplished by extra idler pulleys. You do want to make to sure you dont install a pump or clutch that is for reverse rotation if your vehicle is standard rotation!

 

[MassHoe04]

I have used Gates anytime I needed water pump, belts, idler/tensioner pulleys and hoses. Great experience. Never had one needing replacement after install.

Gates water pump is less than $70.

More Information for GATES 45005

I have also used Hayden fan clutches.
Rockauto.com has them for less than $40.

More Information for HAYDEN 2744

Don't forget to use the forum discount code. It can offset sales tax (and sometimes part of shipping), depending on cost of order.

If I am in more of a hurry, I get the same parts, but at my local NAPA store. No shipping cost and with AAA member discount, sometimes cheaper than Rockauto (and most stuff at NAPA is same day or next day).

 

[MassHoe04]

P.S.: I just got an email from NAPA Rewards... 10% off online ordering through 6/30. 20% for orders over $125!!! Depending on what people need, 20% can be a real game changer on cost for parts!!

 

[iamdub]

At 309k miles I am ready for my 3rd water pump. The bearings are loud I thought it was my alternator so I change that, apparently those bearings were all so trashed so its not as loud, but i can tell by spinning water pump pulley by hand those bearings are also on their way out.

Since the fan clutch has to come off I might as well get a new one. I am confused on the RockAuto descriptions especially when it comes to reverse rotation. What does that even mean? I have the tow package and automatic rear AC in mine so I need a decent clutch but not the severe duty one that is locked all the time. Is there one that people recommend?

Also, Which water pump? Gates, Ac Delco pro or AcDelco OEM?

In my experience, you can't expect the life out of an aftermarket pump that you can out of an OEM one. Yeah, the cost might be lower on an aftermarket pump and it's not a difficult swap. But, what is your time worth and where will you be if it fails unexpectedly? It might have a warranty, but that doesn't cover the lost coolant or your time and inconvenience. AC Delco Professional (now known as "Gold") is a re-boxed 'good' aftermarket. Hell, it might be a Gates at a different price. If you find both, compare them. I've bought parts from one store and compared them with those from another to find that they were the exact same item at a lower price, just in a different brand box. Just avoid AC Delco Advantage ("Silver") if reliability is a concern for you. This is a blanket statement for all of their parts, particularly suspension.

 

[tom3]

Reverse rotation on a belt driven fan has the flat side of the belt on the pulley face.

 

[rockola1971]

Reverse rotation on a belt driven fan has the flat side of the belt on the pulley face.

I believe all of my K chassis (3 of them) have the flat side of the belt on the flate pulley face. I dont believe Ive ever seen a ribbed pully on a water pump on a K chassis engine.

 

[Merc1973]

Thanks everyone! I use RockAuto 95% of the time.

The fan clutch still has me confused. I have RPO GT4 for 3.73 axles and Z82 tow package, but they all say W/O tow package in description except for the GM Genuine that says electric but also thermal, strange...

 

[Fless]

I have the same two codes in mine, with a non-electric fan clutch, smooth pulley on WP, if that's any help.

 

[Merc1973]

I just purchased Hatden severe duty clutch and Gates pump. Thanks everyone.

 

[MassHoe04]

Thanks everyone! I use RockAuto 95% of the time.

The fan clutch still has me confused. I have RPO GT4 for 3.73 axles and Z82 tow package, but they all say W/O tow package in description except for the GM Genuine that says electric but also thermal, strange...

Someone copied/pasted or typed wrong info in description there. Definitely thermal on the GM.

Just be aware, you might hear more fan noise from the severe duty clutch. It spins the fan at faster rates. Great for cooling. Just expect it might sound more truck-like.

 

[Fless]

Just be aware, you might hear more fan noise from the severe duty clutch. It spins the fan at faster rates. Great for cooling. Just expect it might sound more truck-like.

Or that you're at the start of the runway and winding up to take off.

 

[Merc1973]

Got it finished in about 2 hours. Also replaced upper and lower radiator hoses and T-stat. The fan clutch roars about the same as my old one, a little bit longer just while.cold in neighborhood. Nice and quiet now, old pump bearings were very rough and the orange antifreeze was very brown.

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

I have 260,000 miles with original clutch hub. I noticed off road that my transmission got a bit hot... still well under 200F but I didn't like what I saw. The guy riding with me built these trucks for a living (retired from GM assembly line). He suspected the clutch hub as you could never hear that gust of air coming from the fan. I figured, probably wouldn't hurt to get a new hub.

I'm sitting here confused about codes on Rock Auto as well though. I think the same clutch hub will fit mine Q2 below... I want to make sure I get enough cooling though as I built up a 6.0L and dropped it into my 2001 Tahoe. I assume, the main difference between these is the thermostat to activate the clutch and rotation direction?

My next question is what the heck is an electronic clutch hub (Q1 below)????? Isn't that a bit of an oxymoron... is that a mistake on rock auto? I don't know if I have to buy one of the OEM ones because they are the only electronic ones? What is that?

 

[MassHoe04]

I can't answer anything on part specs. for this.

As far as brand goes... I put a Hayden on my Jeep 4.0L. They were very highly rated by the members in the forum. No issues. Good quality part. If it is the correct one, go the HD for a couple extra dollars.

Keep in mind, HD fan clutches usually spin faster and stay on longer. They can make more noise than a SD clutch. Some describe it to be a "roar" or "like a jet". Definitely more truck-like...

But that would be the trade-off, if you really need the maximum cooling of an HD/Severe Duty fan pulling more air through.

SD clutches tend to be more quiet.