Need steps for water pump replacement

[camdavgar]

I have searched but no luck for me. I am new here because I don't own a dsm, but my good friend has a couple and his water pump and thermostat went out about 35 miles from home and we plan on fixing it where it sits. The thermostat is done. We ran out of time today because of work and such so we are going back monday and want to have some kind of direction instead of just sitting there in the parking lot trying to figure it out. I appreciate the help in advance. It's a 95 Talon by the way.

 

[WhiteCloud]

I just did this on my 96 Tsi Awd, so it should be exactly the same for you.

You're going to need:
1) tools (metric sockets, including deep sockets, a few open-ended metric wrenches, rachets, etc.)
2) water pump, gasket, and o-ring (duh)
3) gasket sealer

Basically the first step is to jack the car up (I removed the driver side front tire for more room) and remove the splash shield in the wheel well. Drain the cooling system from teh plug under the radiator. Then remove all power belts (power steering, alternator, ac compressor pulleys). The alternator and ac compressor belts should come off with just removing the crankshaft pulley (4 bolts). You are probably going to need to remove the driver side motor mount and jack the engine up and/or down a litte at various parts of the procedure because several bolts are hard to get to. Do this by putting a piece of wood with several folded towels over it between the jack and the oil pan, or if you can find a better way without denting your oil pan go for it.

You are going to need to remove the power steering pump and alternator, along with the mounting brackets if they get in the way. You also need to remove the upper, middle, and lower timing belt covers. These are BITCHES to get off without breaking them. I completely tore apart the middle cover, and cut a large piece out of the bottom cover. The top cover is easy to get off. you then need to remove the water pump pulleys, held on by 4 shallow bolts. Get the engine jacked up a bit to get the pulleys out after you loosen the bolts, or else you will be pulling on them in vain!

I believe you also have to remove the auto-tensioner assembly and arm for the timing belt (the little cylindrical looking piece with a silver piston), but I am not positive. I removed the entire timing belt, and I don't believe you can replace the water pump without doing so. If you want to try, go for it. If not, be prepared to retime your engine using the instructions in the vfaq here:

http://www.vfaq.com/mods/timingbelt-2G.html

After taking off the tensioners, tensioner pulley, and finally water pump, trash that broken biatch and prepare your new pump and gasket for installation. Proceed to lubricate the gasket and o-ring with coolant (I forgot this step but don't figure it will be a huge problem, considering the cooling system itself SHOULD be doing the lubricating later ), coat the gasket on both sides with a line of gasket sealer, and bolt that bad boy down. Then start putting the pieces back together.

Not to get your hopes down, but I thought my overheating problem was the water pump. When I finally got the pump off, NOTHING wrong with it--no shaft play, perfect spinning, no broken impellers. I'm still trying to get the timing of my engine right afterward, and my overheating problem persists :thumbdown. Good luck!

 

[Raph]

still overheating? are ur fans working..did u flush the radiator out thoroghly?(forcing water through it with a garden hose?)

 

[rowlex]

If this is your first water-pump/timing belt experience, spend the money and have it towed to your house. If you are actually going to be replacing the water pump it is a son of a bi*** to do in the first place, even worse if its your first time, and yet worse again if your doing it in a parking lot :thumbdown

JFYI, in order to replace the water pump, the timing belt needs to be removed, so its not going to be any fun. You will also need a vice to re-compress the auto-tensioner.

You actually do not need to remove the alternator or the power steering units. The only thing related to these you have to remove are the belts and the alternators tensioner bracket. I've done 2 water pump jobs and never removed the alt. or power steering unit.

I would also say, that if your water pump isn't leaking don't replace it. Both of mine (on two seperate cars) leaked when they were blown. And don't use that gasket sealer shit, you do not need it. --also no need to put coolant or anything on the water pump gasket, it has some sticky shit on it already, the thing will seal itself after the car is warmed up. DO PUT SOME LUBE ON THE O-RING THO! I failed to do this once and had to remove the water pump for a second time because it didn't seal properly.

p.s. throughout this entire job you will also have at most 2.5 inches of space between the timing belt area and the engine bay, so it will be a little cramped!

If you want to AIM me with questions/for help: blu95gsx

 

[luv2rallye]

Definately spend the money and have it towed to your house. Do not do this in a parking lot. If your first time, spend a lot of time going over and following exactly the proceedures in the timing belt VFAQ proceedure. Take your time - the timing belt install/adjustment is by far the most often thing people do incorrectly over and over and .... so take your time. Don't under estimate the job - it will be more than you think and take far more time. Tip: Usually the middle timing cover will break when trying to remove it unless you remove the forward vertical engine mount stud. And did I mention - take your time on the timing belt adjustment.

 

[camdavgar]

Alright. Thanks for the replies. We are going tonight to work on this beast because it is going to have to be done there. We don't have the money or means to get it to his house, which sucks, but oh well. This is the first water pump that I have done on a dsm, but I am not a total newbie when working on cars. I have mainly stuck to f-bodies though, so this is a little different with the engine sideways. I only have a few more questions. He bought the waterpump, but I thought it looked like a gasket was missing but he said no. There has to be a gasket or the coolant is just going to keep leaking, right? Or is there something I am missing here? Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[luv2rallye]

yes the water pump should have a gasket and o-ring. If you can't tow the beast home try to at least get it in a garage somewhere. And follow the timing belt proceedures: http://www.vfaq.com/mods/timingbelt-2G.html.

 

[WhiteCloud]

If you don't have a vice handy, you can use a 6 inch C-clamp. That's what I used to compress the auto tensioner. Also make sure you don't set the timing on the cam sprockets 180* off!

 

[rowlex]

I've got one tip for ya then....

when you've got the pump installed and are re-tensioning the belt:
the manual and vfaq call for a special tool, what I've found works is to place the handle of a socket wrench between the upper part of the tensioner arm and the water pump to hold the tensioner arm onto the auto-tensioner while tightening the belt and locking the pulley into place. try to torque the pulley in such a way that the pressure will not be against the belt, this will stretch it. Its also a good idea to test to make sure you have plenty of travel left after your release the auto-tensioner, what I *think* the spec is something like 4mm (CHECK THE vFAQ) but I used an allen wrench that was the correct gap size to test the gap. Good luck guys let us know how it goes!