I seem to be going further and further into refreshing the 1972 98 I bought recently with a 455. I ran pretty well for having sat for the better part of 20 years. Gas tank was obviously shot as were lines, but running off a small tank and after cap, rotor, wires, plugs, carb rebuild etc. it is running very nicely. I'm right in the middle of doing the valve cover gaskets and wondering if I should do the water pump?

They're not that expensive. Is it a straight forward job? The videos of found aren't that helpful - if someone has one I'd love to see it.

Thank you.

Jay

 

I'm an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guy, and having replaced the WP on Olds engines numerous times, I would wait until I knew it needed it, or if there was some other reason to pull it off (like replacing the timing chain.......which if your engine has ~100,000 miles or so on it, should probably be replaced because the factory timing set used nylon teeth on the cam sprocket and they don't last far beyond that point). If the WP isn't leaking or making loud noises / loose, its good to go for a while at least.

 

If orginal, it is probably a nice closed impeller cast iron pump. All the cheap replacements have a stamped steel impeller that aren't anything special.

 

I’m a similar fan of “If it ain’t broke”. I’ll monitor.

 

Your call on the water pump, but it's better to proactively change one than to have it go bad on the road. Of course, once you have the pump off, you MIGHTASWELL do the timing chain.

 

^^^THIS^^^

Better to change it now for preventative maintenance by your terms vs. having to change it when it fails on the side of the road, or in the dead of winter at 20*.🥶

 

If it is an original I wouldn't turn it in for the core charge. You or another member may want it for a restoration.

 

I would for sure do the water pump but I would not replace it. I would pull it and send it to The Water Pump Man in Michigan for a rebuild. It is likely a little more money to rebuild it but you will have a better quality pump and your original impeller. Just hopefully it is the original pump so it has the cast impeller. I never trust old water pumps anymore. The water pump is the most common problem I see at car shows.

 

Jay - Do you know how many miles are on the current engine? There is a good chance the WP may have already been changed. There are "some" tell-tale external signs you can look for i.e. does the bead (sealant) look as though it's factory or someone else may have installed a new WP? Clean it well, get a good visualization - rust, pitting, scarring, etc.? Snoop around underneath and examine the oil pan. Does the oil pan look like it's ever been off? What does the oil pan gasket/sealant look like? Other than applying some "tricks", most will remove the oil pan to R&R the timing chain. What I'm suggesting is this. It's awfully easy to suggest the timing chain needs replacement because the vehicle has X number of miles (100K+ we'll say). However, many of these vehicles were actually "maintained" by previous owners quite well & it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see a previous R&R on the timing chain, the WP & even the oil pump. I think you just removed/painted the valve covers. When the valve covers were off, do any of the rocker arms look aftermarket, etc.? As I've moved through my 120k miles 350 cid, when I did the R&R of the oil pump I validated the timing chain has already been replaced, when I had the valve covers off I could see someone replaced a couple rocker arms. Just small tell-tale signs which may lend a clue if someone's been into the engine a little. If the engine is solid, if you have good compression among all eight and you have over 100k+ miles, there stands a reasonable chance the WP may have been replaced. When I look at the bead of sealant on my WP it's apparent to me someone had the WP cover off and did an excellent job of reinstalling it. Good Luck!