Does water pump pulley on backwards cause damage?

The Great White · Feb 21, 2012

So I had someone I found on here install my water pump / timing belt a few months back. Anyways, since then my belts would not stop squeaking no matter what I did, and over this past weekend my alternator belt snapped off. After closer inspection I realized my outer water pump pulley wasn't lining up properly to my other pulleys. After reading other threads, I realized this was the problem, and I was able to flip that outer water pump pulley around and put it all back together.

What I didn't see in reading was whether or not if having either one of those water pump pulleys on the wrong way causes any damage to the water pump or engine? Especially since I was driving on it like that for a few months before I was able to fix it.

Also after reading all the other posts. I'm wondering if the inner water pump pulley was on the wrong way now that I put it all together :ohdamn:

so is it inner pulley with the "bump" facing toward the engine 1) like this (| or 2) other way around like this |) with the bump facing out
and the outer pulley i know now goes with the "bump" facing outward like |)

because right now I have the inner pulley oriented like #2, because if I put it on in the #1 orientation it pushes the belt with the power steering out of line and then the outer water pulley doesn't seem like it would match up against the inner pulley, not to mention my power steering belt hasn't been chewing up.

So basically right now the way I have it all the belts seem to line up straight and I know for sure the outer pulley is in the right orientation after flipping it. But if for some reason the inner pulley wasn't on right, would it cause damage?

Any and all help would be appreciated!

DSMTyson · Feb 21, 2012

It would just make your car eat belts. Can't be good for the bearings in the water pump either, but i'm sure its fine.

The Great White · Feb 21, 2012

Since Pictures always help. here is what the configuration looks like now.

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Also, since I forgot, when the alternator belt snapped it took out the wire connecting to my oil pressure sending unit, like ripped it off. So my oil pressure needle has been buried on my dash, anyone now item number or where I could get a replacement. Thanks!

ENICKB · Feb 21, 2012

If you can adjust it to be tight, I guess your okay haha, Ive never seen that before. But things are supposed to be one specific WAY for a reason. I didnt design the car, but i would fix it... Its easy to flip back. May as well do the 3/8" alternator bolt mod while your at it. I did it, and I am so happy. I have been promoting it everywhere and people thank me. Look on youtube.

The Great White · Feb 22, 2012

Flipping them around isn't my problem. But the threads I've read say for the cup or dish to go a certain way. Well that to me can be interpreted in a number of ways, is the dish the raised part or the grooved in part, and the same applies to the "cup". Even if I flipped my inner pulley around, wouldn't that push it really far out. I can't find any clear cut pics, even in the manual as to the direction of the pulleys. I'm just trying to fix someone else's eff up.

19Eclipse90 · Feb 22, 2012

If you flipped the inner pulley around the wrong way, I'm really leaning towards it being impossible to bolt on the outer pulley using the original bolts. The geometry alone seems like it would prohibit it.

It looks like you've got it set up correctly in your picture. The inner pulley cups over the water pump. That means, when installed, the inner pulley will cover part of the pump from view. Here's a thread showing a correctly installed inner pulley with an incorrectly installed outer pulley: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...n-out-water-pump-pulley-go.html#post151166499

If your belt didn't take out the connector between the body harness and the small pigtail running to the oil pressure gauge unit, you can get away with replacing that small pigtail if it is still available. Mitsubishi's part number is MD137539.

EDIT: That harness (MD137539) is no longer available! JNZ Tuning stated there have been zero in the states since June 2015.

The Great White · Feb 22, 2012

19Eclipse90 said:
If you flipped the inner pulley around the wrong way, I'm really leaning towards it being impossible to bolt on the outer pulley using the original bolts. The geometry alone seems like it would prohibit it.

It looks like you've got it set up correctly in your picture. The inner pulley cups over the water pump. That means, when installed, the inner pulley will cover part of the pump from view. Here's a thread showing a correctly installed inner pulley with an incorrectly installed outer pulley: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/228253-clear-pic-showing-proper-direction-out-water-pump-pulley-go.html#post151166499

If your belt didn't take out the connector between the body harness and the small pigtail running to the oil pressure gauge unit, you can get away with replacing that small pigtail if it is still available. Mitsubishi's part number is MD137539.

Thank You! Your explanation validated everything I was thinking. I've seen that pic you attached for a reference because that's how mine looked before I flipped that outer pulley to what it is currently at now. And two, I was wondering if the inner one was supposed to cup over the water pump as I have it set up, because as you said, the geometry just wouldn't make sense.

As for that unit. The belt actually ripped the wire with the connection off. The nipple on the oil housing that the wire connects too is still in tact. But the wire with round connector that goes onto that nipple on the housing just split in half and is gone. So is that part you referred too the wire that connects to the housing?

Thanks again for your explanation. I'm sure it'll help some jack### like me next time it comes around. :thumb:

19Eclipse90 · Feb 22, 2012

The part number I provided is the part that connects to the housing, yes. This one (second picture) is separated, but if the wire were still connected to the black piece on the housing, that's what you would get: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/322586-parts-identification.html#post151735728

The Great White · Feb 23, 2012

19Eclipse90 said:
The part number I provided is the part that connects to the housing, yes. This one (second picture) is separated, but if the wire were still connected to the black piece on the housing, that's what you would get: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/322586-parts-identification.html#post151735728

Thanks for that link, it helps greatly. You rock

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Does water pump pulley on backwards cause damage?

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