Good choices for 2001 Yukon 5.3L waterpump?

[JamesLond]

I see there's an ACDelco 12703898 which is probably the best choice. Would I be OK just getting a cheaper Valucraft one from Autozone or something?

 

[rockola1971]

I see there's an ACDelco 12703898 which is probably the best choice. Would I be OK just getting a cheaper Valucraft one from Autozone or something?

Its what I did. The water pump with fan clutch kit was like $275 here back in December. Works just fine.

 

[SnowDrifter]

Important spinny bits, electronics, I get oe.

I'd consider a water pump an important spinny bit

 

[nick0789]

I had my water pump start to fail when I first moved to a new town and the NAPA service center I went to (had the best reviews in town at the time and my brother-in-law knew the owner) used a new one from NAPA (included thermostat and housing, with new gaskets and made by Gates I'm pretty sure). I put about 30k on it without issue before I had to replace it because I cracked one of the threaded mounts for the tensioner pulley by accident while doing some other work.
Got it warrantied as a free swap, though, which was nice.

If I had time to wait for a new water pump, I'd probably go OEM off RA if the price was lower than NAPA; otherwise I'd go NAPA again. That's just personal preference though based on ease of warranty replacement if I ever needed it.

 

[OR VietVet]

I ALWAYS defer to Genuine GM or AC Delco parts when I can but I also plan on driving this rig till it falls in half. You, as the owner, know whether you will keep a long time or are ready to move on. Your money, your choice.

 

[iamdub]

I see there's an ACDelco 12703898 which is probably the best choice. Would I be OK just getting a cheaper Valucraft one from Autozone or something?

It's too critical to risk it. My brother had to get a cheap parts store brand cuz it was all they had in stock and he needed to get home. It failed just a couple months (or was it weeks?) outside of the warranty period. Thankfully, it was still drivable so it didn't leave him stranded. There have been plenty of similar stories just on this forum. The stories you hear about people replacing GM OE water pumps is how it has 100-, 150- or 200 thousand or more miles on it so they're not sour about it. You could save a chunk on getting a cheap pump and be satisfied that it has a warranty. But, that only covers the part itself- not the coolant, gaskets or time lost having to replace it again if you "luck up" and it fails within the warranty period. Worst of all- where will you (and your family?) be when it fails? Will it be during the winter or summer? You'll have neither heat or A/C without a water pump.

A warranted cheap part:

 

[JamesLond]

OK, you guys convinced me. I'll get the acdelco pump. Is there any other parts I need to buy when changing it? I noticed the RA page said something about a thermostat...

 

[ratled]

I just bought mine the other day for the next on the to do list, I also grabbed a thermostat. trying to decide if I should just replace the belt to since its off. Mine is in good shape, the belt is an easy to do later, and while not to bad $ money wise, there are other things more pressing to get to first...... we'll have to see on that one

 

[tRidiot]

I did the AC Delco one as well when I was doing the swap for my 6.0L. Peace of mind for genuine parts on something like that. I went with the one off the HD 2500, only about $140 right now at RA.

More Information for GM GENUINE 12703898

www.rockauto.com

 

[MassHoe04]

These are my preferences, when it comes to dealing with any cooling issues/replacements/upgrades:

OE for radiators, unless there is an urgent need to go with whatever is cheapest and/or in stock.
Sometimes you do what ya gotta do...

OE or Stant for thermostats.

OE or Hayden for fan clutches.

OE or Gates for belts and hoses.

I have never had to replace a Gates pump or hose after installation. They have usually outlasted the vehicles I put them into! LOL

IF OE is not available or just to darn expensive in a crisis situation, these are the brands I trust and have had great luck in parts not having to be "re-replaced".