Hey Guys, i have to install a new water pump this weekend, the bearings in mine are worn out, so i have a nice little coolant leak .

Have you ever done this, and what's the easiest way to do it? Any tricks i should know?

Thanks for any/all help

 

Piece of cake my man. If you can change a tire, then this is a breeze. Nothing out of the ordinary, just unbolt the old one, and install the new one. Make sure to have some coolant and distilled water to refill the system when you are finished. Also make sure to have the gasket or have some Permetex handy to make your own gasket. Also it is a good time to flush out the coolant system if you haven't done it in awhile.

 

I was told that you can't just change the water pump cause the thermostat housing will just start leaking right after. since the bolts go all the way through that gets loose too?

 

I just looked at the factory manual, doesnt seem too hard.

I was just wonderin if there were any special tricks

How long are water pumps supposed to last? I heard around 100k, but mine is original, and i just hit 160k today on the way to school.

Think my clutch is going, but thats a whole nother story...

 

bringing back a thread from the dead!!!
any tricks or tips to changing out the water pump? and i remember something about the eccentric shaft pulley. i had to line up the lines on the shaft pulley to something? and when i take off the pulley, do i need someone to push in the clutch or something? b/c i remembered you have to do that so some bearing isn't misaligned or was this for a different part?

 

Uh. Nice 3 year old bump. At this point, starting another thread is OK...

Keep the clutch pressed down while you have the eshaft pulley off, or you'll end up with a needle bearing falling down & generally being a pain (and tearing stuff up inside your front stack).

The timing is based off an internal gear. You won't have to worry about the eshaft alignment if you remove the pulley (but don't move it, just in case).

-=Russ=-

 

thanks for the post. i dint want to make a new thread so ppl would realize i did try to search first before making a new thread.

so according to the fsm for the '86 year, i need to take off the eccentric shaft pulley when replacing the water pump. while i take off the pulley, i need to depress the clutch right? and while the pulley is off, the clutch must still be depressed right?

 

Bingo. The clutch must be depressed while the front pulley is off. Just wedge it with a chunk of wood, or use a younger brother or someone.

-=Russ=-

 

Wrong. That's for removing the front cover. You need to keep the clutch depressed to prevent the bearing from slipping.


Now back on topic.
You might have to remove or lightly loosen the main pulley. These are bolted on externally and don't need any special things done.

It's just 4 10mm bolts in it.
Just unscrew them a bit and you should be OK.

When I installed my water pump I took off the waterpump pulley.

Slid the pump on and bolted it down.
Then I slid the water pump pulley on.

This is where loosening the main pulley helps.
The waterpump and main pulley will want to touch at one point.

Just wiggle each pulley back and forth a bit and you can work the water pump one on.

If you do take the main pulley completely off, Don't worry about timing or anything.

The bolts are offset so it can only bolt in one certain way.

 

Here is my engine short block.

You can see the fron cover on and then the empty spot for the waterpump.

If you look at the front cover you'll see the mounting point for the main pulley.

 

thanks for the help digi7ech!!! i'll make sure to just losen the eshaft and try to get all the belts off before i need to take it off. any more tips before i replace the water pump?

thanks for the help too russ

 

WTF... a lot of misleading info in this thread. The main pulley is the little stumpy black thing in that picture that Digi7tech posted. The part with the sheaves on it for the air pump, alternator, etc bolt onto it with 4 little bolts and can only go on one way so that the timing marks will be in the right place. You can remove those with impunity. The deal with the bearing inside getting trashed is only if you take out the big bolt in the center of the main pulley.

 

Ah. I didn't realize you could remove the water pump without taking the main pulley all the way off. I stand corrected!

-=Russ=-