Tony Bal 2 Posted May 4 Hi I have a 1965 Buick Rivera GS and I am replacing water pump, any information on R/R would be greatly appreciated I removed belts fan and shroud.. Started to remove bolts they are coming out hard. Do I have to remove thermostat to replace fluids into intake. I ordered a pump from Napa. What gasket sealer should I use.Thank for your time Tony. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dales90 10 Posted May 4 You're on the right track. Use care in removing the bolts, they are small diameter and twist and break easily. Use the new pump as a guide for bolt location. One on the lower area is easily missed. I would tap each with a small hammer and punch to loosen before wrenching out. This from a longtime 64 owner who learned the hard way. I always used Permatex 2 to seal anything. Black messy stuff but never had to remove to reseal. And thermostat removal was always the best, replace while there, they are cheap. Good luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tony Bal 2 Posted May 4 Thanks so much for your help. Great info. Tony Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1965rivgs 494 Posted May 4 Hi Tony, In addition to rapping on the bolt heads you might want to consider repeated heating and cooling the bolts if possible. The heating/cooling cycles will help break the bond between the aluminum water pump housing and timing cover. PATIENCE is the key ingredient in this situation as after breaking bolts you will have more time invested as compared to taking your time to prevent breaking. Dont hesitate to use plenty of penetrating oil once you get some threads exposed if the bolts bind as they are coming out. Good luck! Tom Mooney 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tony Bal 2 Posted May 4 Thank you. Not sure but looks like there are bolts that go thru ac bracket? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RivNut 2,954 Posted May 4 One of them does. Do as Tom says, be patient, use lots of penetrating oil*, and remember, these are steel bolts going into the aluminum water pump housing. What's your question about removing the thermostat to replace fluids in the intake. Any water/antifreeze mix can be added directly into the radiator. Best rust "rust breaker" is a 50/50 mix of ATF - auto trans fluid - and acetone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tony Bal 2 Posted May 4 Thanks guys for your help. My question about thermostat removal is I fill intake so it will bleed air out of system easier. I think? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RivNut 2,954 Posted May 4 The easiest way to bleed the air out of the system (in my opinion) is to drill a 1/16" hole in the theromostat mounting flange. Drive the car and get the engine up to operating temperature. Go home, park the car with the front end uphill, and loosen the radiator cap (carefully.) Overnight any air caught in the water passages will "burb" itself out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OldGerman 27 Posted May 5 11 hours ago, RivNut said: The easiest way to bleed the air out of the system (in my opinion) is to drill a 1/16" hole in the theromostat mounting flange. Drive the car and get the engine up to operating temperature. Go home, park the car with the front end uphill, and loosen the radiator cap (carefully.) Overnight any air caught in the water passages will "burb" itself out. Hi Ed, can you please explain where you drill that hole without creating a leackage. Could you show a picture please. I want to Unterstand this idea, because I‘m just in the process to installing a new radiator and fan shroud and want to avoid overheating in warming up phase due to air trapped in the system and thermostate does not open due to the air. I made that experience on other cars. Thank you regards Frank Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
demon452 41 Posted May 5 There will be a slight leakage but nothing that will affect flow or cooling issues. Some t-stats have what is called a "jiggle valve" which do the same thing. Helps release air pockets. Here is a pic of a jiggle valve. Serves the same purpose as drilling a small hole. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
65VerdeGS 121 Posted May 6 Hi Tony, Good luck with the replacement of your water pump. Once you get the new pump installed make sure you don't over-tighten the belt. The first time the water pump went on my '65 Gran Sport I replaced it myself. It lasted about a year before failing. So, I replaced it again. And again. It wasn't until the 4th time that I learned I had been over-tightening the belt, causing the water pump bearing to fail prematurely. BTW - do you have any photos of your Gran Sport to post? We'd all love to see your car! Cheers, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
