Shop Oldsmobile Water Pumps

If you have a car like that, you should subscribe the Hemmings Motor News. They are huge in the collector car niche and anyone who sells things for that car would certainly advertise there. Very cool magazine they publish too.

As Nick said, Hemmings is a world class wonder for some impossible stuff. Used to subscribe B4 computer/web or anything and issues were like NYC phone books! Haven't perused their web site but saw a magazine still out there once recently.

1931? Granted a bit before my time but I would bet the pump was made to rebuild and seal yourself. If all else fails see if you can find any #s on bearings or seals that just might be able to cross over. If housing is the problem that would be another job to find or fix that. Stuff was made to fix not just toss. Right around then some didn't use water pumps at all just relied on convection,

T

Thanks for the advice! I'm still on the search, fixing it myself was gonna be the last option, I don't want to brake something that is irreversible. Happened to me once and I'll never just try to be a handy man with exploring all my options.

When it reaches 190-200 low coolant light clicks on as well as fans.

Did you flush out the system really well, including the heater core?

When the fans come on, is the air blowing out of the fans hot? Feel the heater hoses. Are they hot?

Heater hose is hot and building pressure. Fans are blowing cold. If there is any trapped air in the system will that cause it to overheat.

Makes us wonder why it was sitting so long.

Yes, that will definitely cause it to overheat. If there is combustion gases getting into the coolant system, no amount of bleeding is going to work. A cylinder leak down test can reveal if there is a head gasket problem, cracked head, or cracked cylinder wall. You'll see bubbles in the coolant system when you pressures the cylinder. Compression tests may not give you an indication if the leak is small.



Some of techs use vacuum coolant lift system to do refills on those, because they do like to trap air sometimes.

Here is the service procedure:

FILLING PROCEDURE

1. Close the radiator drain cock.

NOTICE: When adding coolant, it is important that you use GM Goodwrench DEX-COOL@ or HAVOLINE DEX-COOL@ coolant. If Coolant other than DEX-COOLS or HAVOLINE DEX-COOL@ is added to the system the engine coolant will require change sooner-at 50 000 km (30,000 miles) or 24 months.

NOTICE: Do not use a solution stronger than 70% antifreeze. Pure antifreeze can freeze at -22°C (-8°F).

NOTICE: This engine uses DEX-COOLS and GM coolant supplement (sealant) P/N 3634621 specifically designed for use in aluminum engines. Failure to use the engine coolant supplement (sealant) and the approved coolant antifreeze could result in major engine damage.

When refilling the cooling system, add three pellets of the engine coolant supplement sealant GM P/N 3634621 to lower the radiator hose.

2. Refill the cooling system. In order to ensure sufficient Cooling System, freezing and corrosion protection, maintain the coolant protection level at -37°C (-34°F) or lower.

3. Set the heater and A/C control in any A/C mode except MAX. Set the temperature to the highest setting.

4. Allow the engine to continue idling until the lower radiator to coolant pump hose becomes hot.

5. Cycle the engine speed up to about 3,000 RPM and back to idle 5 times. On the VIN 1 engines, slowly open the bleed valve on the rear of the thermostat housing for about 15 seconds in order to release any trapped air in the cooling system.

6. After the air has been released, fill the radiator. Install the radiator pressure cap/surge tank. The arrows on the radiator pressure cap must line up with the coolant recovery tube.

7. Allow the engine to cool to the outside temperature. Check the coolant level. If the coolant level is not at the Add (of Full Cold) mark, add coolant until the coolant reaches the mark.

If there's 210 lbs pressure per cylinder and they all hold steady with no leaks will that void out a head gasket. It has good compression in all cylinders.

The static compression pressure in the cylinders doesn't hold because the pressure will bleed off through the rings. An engine's cylinder isn't perfectly sealed. The reason the pressure stays where it is on your gauge is because it has a check valve in it. This means you could have great compression, but still could be getting gasses into the coolant system.

A leak down test actually pressurizes the cylinders with compressed air. The tester tells you the leak down rate of the cylinder. Since it is using compressed air, it keeps the cylinder pressurized and any leaks going into the coolant system will show up as bubbling in the reservoir.

For the moment seeing smoke/steam at reservoir is not conclusive with it running hot for reasons to be found still.

It must be known full of coolant first and foremost. Not just the reservoir but the radiator. Generally if heater works there's an adequate level of coolant for some info. If not dig in and determine whether there's air in the system. Head gaskets can add air as well as small leaks can leave a reservoir full or too full and suck air in thru the leak. Head gaskets can add combustion pressured vapor (essentially air) into cooling system and cause this. That can usually be detected by feeling upper rad hose from a cold start noting no pressure when cold and if pressure is felt quickly - like within a minute or two that's too fast and more testing needed.

I don't think this model has a radiator cap on the radiator which makes it difficult to know it's full. When no pressure is in system it may bubble at reservoir when squeezing upper hose for instance and should only move coolant - no air bubbles seen.

Seems like everything else works so it could also be a clogged radiator that just can't transfer heat well anymore. Flushing whole system can be very telling and good for it.

Again - run heater on full temp request and that's a good indicator of engine temp up to boiling where heat will quit (just trust me) - if no heat is available it's usually air with the symptoms you've posted,

T

ok thank you both. i dont know much about cars thats why i figured id check around. i am gonna take it to a shop monday to see whats going on. i had it at a shop and they were supposed to flush it or w/e to get all air out but idk. and i did flush the system out tho when i put in a new thermostat because i put in some gook (idk how to spell the word) and i had to make sure all coolant was out before doing so. but i noticed you said something about the heat. i've noticed it will be hot for a minute then cold the next. the car has a .... idk info screen if you will.. that tells you low coolant low oil ect.. and it keeps sayin coolant even tho i put it in. i was told i gotta put in a code to get it to stop sayin low so that i can actually tell when its low but idk how to obtain this code. i do not have owner manual so i probably going to have to search the net. but everytime i turn the air onto defrost the a/c light comes on and i only can turn it off if i switch it to feet where the heat comes from.. and i have the temp set at 90 and it still goes from hot to cold. so are you saying there is still air?? and as for the nose bleed lol yeah my buddy said take the cap off let it run see if the air will come out like a burp lol. but i am gonna investigate this more. would anyone happen to know a price on how much it would cost if it were head gaskets? i have a friend who has a shop but b4 asking because we're not "that close" i wanna make sure i know an area of the price. thank you for you time i really do appreciate it alot

darren

okay well im going to take it and see what they have to say. but i do appreciate all the help

ok guys i found out my problem.. my fan isnt working.. i replaced the fuse to start with and that worked.. BUT.. doing so a wire started smoking and stopped the fan.. so i replaced the wire and it worked.. BUT.. then another wire smoked.. when it was on the fan was running super speed.. the car was not even hot and the fan was flying.. i wanna assume the wires were not big enough gauge to hold the power it generated thats why they got to hot.. i also am not a mechanic but i am gonna assume that it was a rig job on whomever had the car and tried to fix the fan. but i think that it needs a switch or sensor to make the fan go slower and turn off.. because i noticed it wouldnt shut off.. so with all this being said do either of you have any suggestions?? tomor i am going to a shop but would like to hear from you guys before if possible.. thank you for your time


darren

If wiring has been altered you are going to have to see what doesn't look original. Fan working when not even called for could be that you have defroster, defog or something on - turn the climate controls off for testing or leave on heat only or vent only. Fans can be triggered with a defrost request.

Melted wire insulation! Ack! The motor may be drawing too much current or the gauge of wire really is under size. If splicing in new wire certainly try to get right gauge and color if at all possible. There could also be a relay that's burned, stuck causing fan to stay on.

With hacked wiring it opens the book for lots of possibilities. Keep things fused with proper amp fuses if any blow while working with this,

T

will do i'm gonna have some stuff checked out today thanks for the help again tom much appreciation

Darren; You replaced the thermostat because of the overheating problem? On some vehicles, it is very easy, and a very common mistake to install them backwards. Assuming that is not the problem, are you certain that you've bled all of the air out of the cooling system. Again, this can be a real pain. I've had to raise the front of a car up so high that it got a nose bleed. Seriously, though, it really can be a pain getting all of the air out. Head gaskets; It is a fairly easy test. You can take it to a shop that has a gas analyzer and have them 'sniff' the coolant reservoir for hydrocarbons. Or, most of the parts stores sell a chemical that will do the same. Changes from a blue color to yellow if exhaust gases are present.