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1970 Oldsmobile Toronado GT, W34 455 V8. I just had what I believe is the original water pump go bad, part number 404582. I bought the AC/ HD cooling water pump from my local O'Reilly's and installed it, only to find that it was about .4 inches too short. It pushed all of my belts one rung forward on the pulley, pushing AC off completely and PS and Alt from the back 2 rungs to the front 2 to keep everything in line. I looked it up, and the 5.6 (what i have) is the long(est) water pump listed for a 1970 Toronado, but I think I need the 6 inch. I looked up multiple other years, and '71 and later had an option for one that was approx 5.94 in. My question is, what would be the correct water pump to replace 404582? If there is no continuation of that specific part number, what is the length that I need? Is this a W34 specific water pump? Again, the car has AC, I have not confirmed it has Heavy Duty cooling, but most indications point towards that. Thanks
As you see W34 doesn't have a specific water pump. 70 Toro w A/C and/or HD cooling does.
But since a lot of people think I don't know anything about Toronados figured I'd better back it up with the parts book.
Why not have your original pump rebuilt? Unless the impeller or shaft is shot, bearing and seal will make it like new and you'll have the original part that you know fits correctly.
Last edited by rocketraider; Jun 1, 2023 at 03:30 PM.
I know there were only 5,000 or so 70 GTs, but I'm not so picky about keeping mine 100% original. Rebuilt carb makes sense, rebuilt water pump, to me, seems like unnecessary effort. Mine was seeping through the hole in the top when I took it off, and I'd rather just get a new part, maybe even a slight upgrade like a high-flow one.
Kinda was wondering if there are new water pumps that are a continuation of either 404582 or 230901, or just what height I need. Would a '71 pump work correctly for my application? I need an Oldsmobile big block water pump with approximately the 6" (6.125 is it?) height to work with my AC. Can anyone recommend a specific part, or has anyone recently done a water pump on a 70 Toronado with AC and knows what will work correctly? Including a link for a 5.937 in water pump, not sure if that would fit the bill. If I could get some advice I would really appreciate it.
The 71-up pumps have a smaller inlet hose fitting than the 1970-older water pumps. 1.75" for the 71-up compared to 2" for the 70-older. The radiator hose fittings are similar, with 1.5" for the 71-up and 1.75" for the 70-older, so there is lower hose incompatibility if you mix the water pump and radiators between year breaks.
Yeah that's what I was seeing on the parts websites, I was afraid that they wouldn't work right. If anyone knows where to find the proper 6 inch tall water pump, please let me know. I could get the original pump rebuilt, but if at all possible I'd want to buy new
Cleaning out a shelf unit today in the garage and I came across a 404562
pump. I got this in error years ago. It was sold to me as NOS and looks it, but it’s so old I wouldn’t trust it without a rebuild. It turns smooth and no shaft play detected. PM me if you have interest… Dave
Once again, nearly every water pump listing for Oldsmobile is wrong. Part number 230901 was only used on the 1970 Toro. I'm pretty sure no one sells new ones due to the limited applications and nearly no demand these days. Your options are to either rebuild your original or use the 1971-72 pump P/N 231073 (note the typo in the chart posted above). The 1971-72 pump will be the same length but the inlet fitting is 1.75" vs 2" on your current pump. You will have to use a reducer bushing between your current hose and the 1971 pump. You can't use the 1971 hose because it won't fit the radiator. (1.5" vs 1.75" on the original).
