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Tips

Water Pump Removal

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nevets

nevets

Jedi Knight
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My water pump won't come off. I know this issue has been covered in previous threads (love the automatic 'Similar Threads' feature on this forum BTW). All 4 bolts have been removed, copious amounts of PB Blaster applied, with much tapping with a small hammer & wood block but the water pump body will not release from the engine block. I also tried tapping the blade of a putty knife into the gasket joint, but no joy. I considered inserting a heavy wood dowel into the outlet pipe and yanking/banging on that, but I'm concerned about fracturing the pump body. I'm not a fan of the heat & beat method because of fire issues. Any other tricks to try? Thanks
 
Something I've had success with in similar issues -

Take hacksaw or ignition file to the edges of the seal to roughen it up. Mix acetone and power steering fluid 50/50. Use eyedropper to drop the mixture onto the seal edges. Let soak overnight, then try removal again.

Someone may have used an *unusually effective* sealant on your pump years ago.

Worked for me.
Tom M.
 
NutmegCT said:
...
Someone may have used an *unusually effective* sealant on your pump years ago.
...
Click to expand...

Sounds likely. A product that works really well on a lot of adhesives/sealants is 3M Adhesive Remover# 08984. It's banned in California, and that's a good contra-indicator of a product's effectiveness.

WRT to sealants, I have a background with some chemistry so I've experimented with a lot of them to see what works best and where. As noted, some 'sealants' might as well be called glue, esp. if 'Adhesive/Sealant' is on the label (ex: 'Right Stuff'-type are near impossible to remove). On most paper gaskets I've found Permatex 'Aviation Form-A-Gasket' works well; the label says 'non-hardening' but I've found it cures to a semi-hardened glaze. Many times I've been able to peel paper gaskets lightly coated with it off intact, and occasionally reuse them. Also, it's less likely to shed a glob into 'sensitive' areas like oil passages. Some pumps I've installed have instructions to install gaskets dry, but I've never had any issues with F-A-G.
 
If the WP is set in some kind of sealant use what Bob suggests. It is good on 3M's 5200, a combination sealer/adhesive which has prodigious strength. If it is set in a hardening epoxy such as JB Weld or the like a combination of acetone, heat and lots of patience should soften things up. I agree on not using a dowel--castings can break easily.
 
I should have mentioned that obviously identifying the substance in which the WP was set is the first challenge, but a careful examination of the bolts should show something. Also if you follow Tom's suggestion and carefully work a hack saw blade behind the pump the scraps of what comes out should tell the tale.
 
Thanks again all. This weekend I will try the acetone treatment and/or adhesive remover. I think I have something like that used for removing adhesive from a disk sander. I'll post the results.
 
NutmegCT - the application of acetone /power steering fluid did the trick! Thank you for the suggestion! I applied the secret sauce with a small brush multiple times over the last few days and it softened the gasket. I was able to eventually tap the blade of putty knife into the joint in several places, then using a flat blade screwdriver, I separated the pump from the engine block. The big surprise was the gushing coolant because I neglected to drain the engine block, Ha! I will be sending it off to Salter for a rebuild. Funny how these small victories can really brighten your day.
 
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