Need Help

[gsniegow]

Car - 1197 Pontiac Trans Am...

On the way home last night I smelled that lovely sweet smell of anti-freeze.

When I pulled in my drive and shut the car off, I poped the hood and saw it leaking, not near the radiator, but the engine. My guess is water pump.

Sound right?

Does anyone know the water pump part number for gmpartsdirect.com?

Dealer wants $750 to fix. $400 for the pump and $350 for labor. They will let me bring my own pump sp trying to find a cheaper one.

Also, is this something I could do myself? How difficult is this? I have some experience, but not much on the LT1.

[Injuneer]

We'll assume its a 1997 T/A

Shoebox has the part # and guideline discount GM part prices (tend to be low, since parts prices are rising rapidly) on his website, and a suggested source. Sould be about 60% of dealer list, including shipping. Its a job that's easy enough to do yourself. It is not worth $350 labor. Note that you will also need some seals.

http://shbox.com/1/Parts.htm

http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#Dal_and_Jason

In the meantime, make sure you know exactly where the leak is coming from. Make sure you try and keep the Optispark distributor dry, or you will run up another huge bill for replacing that.

[gsniegow]

LOL - Yeah, 1997 Trans Am... Though, the 1197 model would be a sight to behold!

Thanks for the info...