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Tips
Tips

Water Pump Replacement Tips

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RJS

RJS

Jedi Warrior
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Hi

Any tips for replacing a water pump? I am about to dive into this project. My water pump was replaced by PO when engine was rebuilt in 1998. I am mostly interested in how to remove the pulley.

Do I remove the water pump first, then the pulley? Or remove the pulley first? The water pump is held on with one bolt and two studs with nuts. Either way, stud or bolt, I can't see that there is enough clearance to remove them without removing the pulley first.

Then, when installing the water pump, any tips for installing the pulley? I don't want to damage the new bearings or seals by forcing the pulley on.

Thanks

Bob
 
PS: if I need to remove the pulley first, how do I keep the water pump from turning while trying to remove the nut in front of the pulley? I was thinking I could hold the pulley in place with a strap wrench...

Bob
 
I've always done the pump R&R with the pulley still on the pump. If you still have the original bolt, then it does stay trapped in the pump, but you can remove it from the engine that way. Turn each fastener out until it hits the back of the pulley, then move the pump out and repeat. Installation is the reverse, you have to install all the nuts by a few turns before you can tighten any of them all the way.

At least in my experience, it's not hard to hold the pulley from turning with just your hand while you remove the nut. But a strap wrench would likely work fine if yours is stubborn.

The pulley should be a light press fit onto the shaft, so it generally takes some encouragement to get it off. Geo will be along soon I'm sure to show you his trick home-made puller; but I used the fixed arms with my HF gear puller set and it popped right off.
https://www.harborfreight.com/14-piece-gear-puller-set-30305.html

By reinstalling the pulley on the bench, you can support the other end of the shaft, and ensure that little or no force is transmitted to the bearings.

When you put it back together, I recommend Loctite retaining compound to ensure the pulley is held firmly to the shaft. I didn't take my own advice last time (it had been working fine after all), and just a few months later the pulley worked it's way loose and snapped off the end of the shaft (ruining them both).

PS, unless you're a stickler for strict originality, I'd suggest replacing the captive bolt with a stud & nut. I had to do that when I installed one of the aftermarket pumps with the pulley permanently mounted on my TR3A, but I liked it enough to move it to the TR3.

PPS, if you don't change to a stud, be certain to get the bolt in the right hole before you install the pulley. It's not obvious, but the pump will only go on one way...
 
TR3driver said:
...The pulley should be a light press fit onto the shaft, so it generally takes some encouragement to get it off. Geo will be along soon I'm sure to show you his trick home-made puller...
Click to expand...

Okee dokee,

PumpPuller1.JPG


PumpPuller2.JPG


waterpump.JPG
 
Gents,

Thanks. Exactly the info I was looking for. I failed to realize I could remove the WP by working it away from the housing while loosening the bolt /nuts. It makes perfect sense now that this would provide the necessary clearance to remove the pump. And then deal with the pulley on the bench.

Bob
 
Speaking of the pulley, my car makes a cute little chirping noise. I finally traced it to the pulley rubbing on one of the raised areas of the water pump. It's not bad enough for me to remove the pump and pulley to fix it...but I bring it up as something to look for during the rebuild.

I rebuilt the original pump with the original pulley...but for some reason the pulley must have installed farther on the shaft to cause the clearance issue. It's one of those little things that is not hard to watch for if you know about it!

I figure that at some point either the pulley and pump will wear enough to stop the chirping...or I will need to fix something else in that area to make it worth the time to fix it.

John
 
For years it was routine to have to grind quite a bit of material off the generally available repro pumps -- the fouling was such that there was no chance of the pulley even turning.

If it were me I think I'd take the time to get the pulley off and remove the high spot from the pump body (at least it will be shiny and easy to spot).
 
She got 2 years of devoted attention to get her on the road...so now she has to wait her turn!

John
 
Geo...

I found the following in this 2012 thread...

quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by TR3driver
...The pulley should be a light press fit onto the shaft, so it generally takes some encouragement to get it off. Geo will be along soon I'm sure to show you his trick home-made puller...
Okee dokee,

PumpPuller1.JPG


Unfortunately the info on your super duper home made pulley puller is no longer visible. Any chance you could post it again. I'm about to replace my water pump and was exploring all the tips and tricks in the forum threads.

Rick...
 
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