Changing Water Pump and-or Gasket, some tips for you

[CharlesStevenson]

I have just changed the gasket set on my water pump and found that doing it was so much easier after reading up the various "how-to's" on here since the Haynes manual misses out a lot of the steps that help.

However, having completed this job I found a few other tips or time-savers so I've jotted them down here.

Apologies to those that have already carried this out before, but it was my first time so perhaps other first-timers on here will find this useful since I've included a few thoughts and observations that I hadn't seen written down previously.

BTW, my car is an auto, non-turbo with no air-con so possibly some of this might not be appropriate for a turbo or air-con model, more plumbing etc.

Hopefully this will be useful for someone else in the future.

Comments follow:

- I wanted to clean up around the engine where there had been some oil leaks. On one side of your car there is a hole on the slam panel where the washer bottle nozzle is NOT fitted. I tied a Tescos bag to that hole to use as a bin for my cloths, otherwise I spend all my time chasing them down the road.

- The FAQ on here and some other articles say you need to drop the undertray to access the lower pump bolts. Not true. All pump bolts are accessible from above. (The FAQ is US focused so possibly they have different underbonnet plumbing over there)

- Also, the FAQs suggest you need to loosen the PAS belts etc, again not true, see my later comment about water pump pulley.

- You can access the 4 bolts to remove the fan from above with an open-ended spanner.

- Then the pulley will slide forwards and off the 4 studs and the belt tension will then go back to as before when the pulley is replaced.

- Take off the fan and then the pulley and then remove the radiator-fan shroud. The hot air trunking that runs from the manifold to the airbox was fixed to the bottom of the shroud and required wiggling to pull up.

- The shroud is stiff plastic but it can be squeezed enough to get it past the top hose and the autobox oil feeds so you don't need to undo those.

- You don't need to take the radiator out, there's enough space to work.

- If you disconnect the feed to the expansion bottle you will get rid of a lot of the water you need to loose (or catch it if you want to re-use it) .

- Then if you disconnect the fat hose on the side of the pump you will then have dropped the water to a lower level (and catch it if you want to re-use it).

- If you can't get a grip with a screwdriver on that jubliee clip, use a small socket (7mm I think). I had to and it won't slip off and round the top.

- You have to remove the top timing cover to access one pump bolt. There are 3 bolts, 2x10mm and 1x12mm and one screw on the rear top for the timing cover.

- Now we're at the pump. The pump is held by 2 studs and 3 bolts, PLUS there is a nut and bolt (you'll need a spanner on that nut) which holds the red heater feed pipe against the pump. (I read 5 + 1 and made that just 5! Got me stuck for a few mins!).

- There is one nut which will be right over the open lower timing belt housing. Take a big clean rag and stuff it to the left and right of that belt to ensure the nut doesn't fall in. (Can't say you've not been warned!).

- Undo the six fixings in whatever order you like and keep them in a safe place for later.

- The pump will probably be tight even though the fixings are undone. It needs wiggling or joggling but will release. Possibly due to sealant around the gasket.

- The lower timing cover just slightly overhangs the corner of the pump next to that bolt so it's possible to mistake that feeling for a stuck pump. To get round this issue you have to slightly squeeze up and to the right that corner and then there's enough space to get the pump off.

- Once the pump frees itself you will have more water released, that's ok, it'll stop before the pump goes back on.

- You will probably see straight away why you had that leak. Mine was the top rubber washer had perished, probably due to the oil blow by into the timing belt area that was apparently caused by a blocked breather. (So you can see why not looking after a car causes a problem. Yup. I put my hand up on that one).

- The rubber washer on the end of the red hose is probably still sitting there so pull it off and clean the pipe.

- The rubber top washer will need removing. Mine had been sealed in place so I had to hack the rubber out of the groove so the new one would seat correctly.

- Use whatever tool you prefer to clean the two gasket mating surfaces. I used a stanley knife blade and a paste spreader.

- Use an inspection mirror, or your wife's make-up mirror (Yes, I did!) to check the surface at the bottom-underneath of the head is clean for the new top rubber to push up and sit against.

- Make sure that all the surfaces are as dry as possible and then you can hang the new gasket on the two studs.

- Pop the top rubber into the groove and check it sits ok.

- Pop the rubber seal onto the red heater pipe. It can't go too far as there's a wide ring on the pipe that stops it.

- Slip the pump onto the two studs which have elongated holes, pushing the corner of the lower timing cover slightly out of the way if necessary. Put their two nuts on and run them up but not too tight for now.

- Now you've got to get the other 3 bolts into their holes. This is what confused me. You have to pull the pump upwards and rotating slightly, compressing the top rubber and then the three bolts will align with their holes. It's a sort of clockwise motion. You have to do this one by one and even if you get one in place you'll need to rotate the pump a little for the other two. When they are in you will have also compressed the top rubber sufficiently, since those 3 bolts have no play in them. This really confused me since when I read the FAQ I thought you had to compress the rubber somehow whilst doing up the bolts but as 3 have no play this compression is taken care of.

- Now's the time to replace the nut and bolt that holds the red pipe in the back of the pump.

- Tighten up all 6 fittings to the appropriate tension. That's hard to work out without a torque wrench but you'll find a way.

- SUGGESTION: I should have done this but didn't and it caused me hassle. Put the pulley back in place so the belt is back in the correct groove. Now just nip up the four pulley-fan nuts WITHOUT the fan in place. The reason why it's useful is that if you then top up the water you can run the car stationary for a few mins, switch it off, and then very easily get your hands, or a paper cloth, around the whole pump to check for leaks etc. Then you can remove the pulley, refit the shroud, then pulley then fan.

- ALTERNATIVELY: A more trusting approach. Wiggle the shroud back in place, then re-fit the pulley and attach the fan. Then fill up with antifreeze-water, run stationary for a couple of mins and check for leaks.

- When you run to warm up the water and check for leaks, leave the rad cap off. I didn't and when I took it off to check the level it dropped because there wasn't enough water in the system but an air pocket had built up. (My error becomes your help!)

- Top up if necessary and you should be ok.

The job isn't anywhere as difficult as the above writing might infer, but I've tried to jot down all the useful comments as I remember them.

Total time: 3 1/2 ish hours which was long bearing in mind I was clearing up some oil mess as well and stopped for a few cups of tea.

HTH

[minesa240x3]

Let me be the first to congratulate you on a very good how to!
Having done the job a few times it's always easy to miss the odd bit out when trying to explain to someone who is a novice.
I have read it through several times and apart from one little issue that I had it's spot on.

The one thing I encountered was trying to get the new round rubber heater seal to actually go into the back of the pump?it kind of squashed against the pump?I did have it lined up correctly as well.Maybe as it was a cheap aftermarket pump the seal may have been different?
Anyway I eventually put a very lite smear of vaseline on it to make sure it slipped in place.
I don't know if vaseline(petroleum spirit) will effect the rubber in time but I had to squish the sides of the rubber as it went in.

As you say with every ones own personal experiences we should eventually make it possible for the novice to do the job.

I also had one bolt snap off but I got an expert to get it out.HOW? he gave the little bit sticking out a clout with a ballpien hammer to free the threads and undid it with thin nose pliers.

Regards Brian.

[CharlesStevenson]

thanks your suggestions.

The kit I used was from Volvo so perhaps the sizing was better. The rubber ring for the heater pipe I just put on the pipe. Only time will tell if it seats long term.

My biggest fear before doing the job was either having seized bolt, or breaking one when doing them back up!

I did just that years ago on a thermostat elbow joint so that's probably why I was concerned this time round.

I wrote this up because I've found so many useful tips on here that it's sort of my way of paying it back.

HTH

[volvo always]

I replaced my waterpump about 10 days ago on my B230E 240GLT auto.

The things that I took to figure out was the heater pipe bolt!! Took me about 15 minutes to realise it was turning but not undoing And needed a spanner to hold it while I undid the bolt.

When I got the pump off I cleaned up the sealant with a new stanley knife blade to scrape off any old sealant/gasket.

The heater pipe seal I removed old and pushed the new one on.

When I refitted the pump I fitted it onto the 2 studs finger tight and then aligned and bolted up the heater pipe fully. I then levered up the pump with a big screwdriver and at the same time tightened up the two nuts on the studs. On the pump there is two holes that have elongated slots to enable the pump to be lifted up while tightening. Then went round tightening all the other bolts up.

Like the tip on not undoing the belts

[Ian21401]

Thanks again Charles for your excellent "how to" which I have just re-read to refresh my memory prior to starting to change the pump on my 940. I've had the pump off once before to replace a leaking head/pump gasket but that was a while ago and one can easily forget something. It's done 164,000 miles and is making nasty noises and leaking badly from the weep hole.

[Ian21401]

Originally Posted by Ian21401

Thanks again Charles for your excellent "how to" which I have just re-read to refresh my memory prior to starting to change the pump on my 940. I've had the pump off once before to replace a leaking head/pump gasket but that was a while ago and one can easily forget something. It's done 164,000 miles and is making nasty noises and leaking badly from the weep hole.

I haven't been able to fit it yet. I cannot lever it up far enough against the top seal to fit the bolts and after struggling all afternoon have posted a new "help" thread requesting suggestions.