Well what started out as a nice day trip for the wife and myself has turned into a nightmare. Since it was beautiful today we decided to take the Vette out for a ride in the sun. We drove out in the country and had a wonderful time. On the way home I noticed at a stoplight that the car was heating up and the fan didnt seem to be working to bring the temp down as it usually does. SO, it was at this time I also thought I could smell anti freeze. Well I immed decided to get the car off the road and as I pulled into a quick stop the engine had started to miss a little. The temp was almost in the danger zone but not quite when I shut off the engine. Thats when I could really smell the anti freeze. Well I open the hood and low and behold the upper radiator hose where it connects to the water pump is spewing water all over the engine compartment. Everything under the hood looks like rust. Lucky me my stepdad owns a towing service so I had him tow it home. Now I already have ordered the OEM waterpump at a cost of $229.00 and the hoses for the radiator at a cost of $75.00 and a new serpintine belt for $40.00.I am quite sure I will need to order a OPTISPARK ( DAMMIT ) for it too. So can anyone here please tell me the best one to get. I have seen many different opinions. I know I can get a remanfactured one for $175 with warrranty but I am a little wary. Also can I do all this myself. Replacing the waterpump and the Opti? If I can I could save myself about $350.00 as thats what my mechanic would charge me for all this. Also since I am having to do this to the car would you also change the oil pump to a high output one as my oil pressure runs around 18psi when idleing? PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP. The parts I ordered will be in on Tuesday.
Oh this car has 98K miles on it and uses no oil. However it does have a small oil leak in one of the VCG's. Should I also replace them along with new plugs and wires too? If so please chime in on the best SparkPlugs for the engine?
Thanks guys I hope to have her out and about again very very soon. I am SO SICK TONIGHT I HAD TO TAKE A VALIUM !

 

Good evening 93, I can't help you any on the OPTI-SPARK but I would'nt hesitate to tear into it and do all the work yourself, as long as your carefull not to twist any bolts off it should be straight forward wrenching. If the oil pump is easy to access with the OPTI and water pump off then you might as well change it out, I'd stay with a stock pressure and volume pump, good luck-have fun.

 

Thanks for the reply. Some are saying I need the FSM for the job. I am 47 years old and in my day I have changed out many distributors, plugs, alternators, water pumps, wires, hoses etc. However I have worked on a car in many years either and I dont want to screw this one up as my wife is tellin me. Will I need to put it up on blocks etc? Thanks for the reply as all are certainly welcome. I am so SICK I cant stand myself right now !

 

Stand back, take a breather, tomorrow will be a better day, when the guys at work start drooling over my vette I ask 'em whats the big deal?, it's just an old Chevy, like one of the tin knockers at work likes to say, "they make new ones everyday". It's only money-relax and have fun with it.

 

Check out this threadthere is about all the info you will need on the opti.https://www.corvetteforums.com/m_31144/tm.htm

I would go with NGK TR55 plugs.
You have a cheap mechanic if he would do the opti and water pump for $350.00 I think I know who you are on another forum. You are
93LT1Power right? You have a nice avatar over there.

 

Yep thats me. Everyone seems to love the avatar over there LOL. I thought posting on both would give me better coverage. Thanks for your imput. I appreciate all the ideas I am getting from everyone. Sure makes one feel a little better if I can feel that way at this present time. Man this really sucks though !

 

Knock on wood, and I am knocking now, I have yet to have a catastrophy like that in my car, but unfortunatly our cars are getting to that age that they are yet to be antiques but are far from new, so crap like that happens. The great thing about it is that it going to give you a chance to spend some time repairing and getting to know your new car. The more work I have been able to do on my car the more I have just loved it. I have yet to blast down the road in it and not feel like I am luckiest person in the world to own one of these cars. My dad had a 2006 Z51 that I drove last weekend, and as nice a car as it is I still love my C4 just as much!

 

Remanufactured=crap....I have bad luck with that stuff....Got brake booster from autozone with lifetmie warranty been in 4 brake boosters in a year and a half! All remanufactured ones!

 

Sorry about your '93 problems, but "it ain't nothing but a thing".
I just completed the job on my '93 and looking back I'm glad I did it myself. Although, if someone had told me they would do it for $350 I may have taken them up on it. My quotes were all upwards of $1200.
Should you do it yourself my "few" suggestions would be:
Get the car high enough to get underneath it, but not so high as to make it uncomfortable working from the top.
PurchaseONLY a distributor (opti-type) that is vented for intake and exhaust air. You can modify a stock opti like this and there are a few websites that explain the process. I opted for a design which included these features. (more pricey, but worth it)
You'll have to drain the radiator, (you can save the coolant and reuse)
but it probably needs changing anyway. I took the opportunity to flush
the cooling system (heater core included) and installed new coolant.
After getting the new distrib. installed, before hooking anything else up,
start the engine and make sure it will run for a minute. It may idle real rough, but you just want to confirm you have the installation right. Better to know now than find out after all is back togeather you need to tear it downagain.
I would suggest replacing plugs and wires now also. It will be easier with so much out of the way. (still not easy)
If you do the job yourself, remember this forum is here for support should you get into trouble. While I can't speak for them, I'm sure there are several here willing help as they can.

 

I am in the same boat at this time not that the cooling system is at falt. Mine started missing back fireing some times in the intake and sometimes in the exhaust. Replaced the plugs first helped a little but got worst. Got a cap and rotor from MSD bought a new water pump airtech and started to take apart have pump off and three of the bolts from the distr. it looks like the dampner is going too have to come off. too get the last srew out of the cap which means a new seal. and maybe a speedi sleeve for you at 28k I would think mine is o.k. but we will see As far as your 18 psi at idal with 5w30 oil is not that bad as long as you have 40 max you may have a low reading gage. Alot of racers are not using hipo oil pump any more they take a lot of hp too run by the way your pump is in the oil pan not sure how hard that is too get off one of this babys One more thing to mind. Make sure you put some water pump lube /antirust teatment back in and put a new one each year it will help the pump and hoses too live a long life.