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New Water Pump Replacement HOW-TO w/ PICS

184K views 43 replies 33 participants last post by  Greasemanicure 
#1 · (Edited)
Disclaimer:
I can't be responsible for any damages done to your car. I'm not an expert, I just was doing the work and had a camera handy. This is a guide and work should be done at your own risk.
Thanks:
grimple1-His original HOW-TO gave me enough info to get the job done. All of this how to is thanks to him.(Except the Pictures)
b16sir1991 A.K.A. Mike at Hilbish Ford-He gave me a great deal on a Motorcraft water pump, seal, and drive belt. Thanks Mike.
Tools Needed:
Jack
Jack Stands
Catch Pan
Cresent Wrench
8mm socket
10mm socket
15mm socket
18mm socket
How To:
1.Jack up the front of the car and place on jack stands.

2.Open the coolant resevoir cap and then loosen radiator drain plug w/ catch pan underneath.(It's on the back of the driver's side at the bottom of the radiator.

3.Take off coolant resevoir tank from frame (1 x 10mm).

4.Remove belt cover plastic from below (2x 10mm).

5.With a wood block and jack support the engine's oil pan.

6.Remove passenger side motor mount w/ engine FIRMLY supported (2 x 18mm ,3 15mm).

Another view

One w/ the mount removed

7.Remove bolts on Water Pump Pulley (3X 10mm wrench)
From up top

From underneath

One w/ the pulley off

8.With the pulley loose it should be able to be carefully pulled off and make the belt come loose, or you could use the belt tensioner.
9.Remove water pump bolts (4x 8mm)

10.Get the water pump out. This is the tricky part. Some people were saying they had to lower the engine on the jack to get the pump out and some were saying they also had to take the a/c compressor off.(4 x13??mm)All I had to do is turn the pump around and place the pulley side in the hole and then it kind of just fell out the bottom. I'm not sure if the engine kind of got lowered and that's why or if I just hit the magic spot, but I was able to put the new pump back in the same way. Try to wiggle it out and if you have to, move on to lowering the engine and then removing the a/c compresser if necessary.

11.Make sure to remove and replace O-ring. I installed the new O-ring to the water pump before putting in. It doesn't stay in place if you try and set it in the block.
12.Re-install in reverse order and remember to fill coolant.

I'm hoping this will be a new sticky???[dunno] [idea] [read]
 
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#3 ·
Hmm interesting... I always thought you have to remove the belt cover bla bla bla... I was thinking that way because everyone says to change waterpump while changing the timing belt, because 90% of labour is already done.
Guess i misunderstood. Does the same thing apply for SPI or is it a bit different ?
 
#4 ·
Yeah. Your right most people say to just go ahead and do the timing belt. But I was scared to even attempt this with taking off the motor mount and everything. I need this car for work (Delivery Driver) and can't afford to mess it up. So I'll hold off on the timing belt. I believe the SPI is a little different. I'd have to look at my Hanes manual because I believe you do have to take off the Timing belt cover for that.
 
#9 ·
good to know i can do this after i do my T-Belt. great work. why did you do it? did the pump fail or it was "going out"
 
#13 ·
Hey guys, new to this forum and came across it via google. This how-to is fantastic, especially compared to the Haynes one[vommit] I do have a few questions, however.

Why does the motor mount have to be removed? I've seen a few people across these boards and the net that claim to have not needed to drop the engine, is this true?

And secondly, What sort of skill level is needed to this? I've wrenched my own car on little things (belts, alternator, oil filter etc) but I've never dealt with motor mounts. I feel like it sounds more intimidating than it actually is. Anyone wanna shed some light on what sort of skill level is needed to perform this job?

Sorry for double post
 
#14 ·
this is definately different then the SPI btw. The SPI's water pump is run off the timing belt.. this meaning you have to take off timing belt when you do it hence just changing it at the same time. good how-to!
 
#15 ·
dont forget to run the car afterwards with your heater on high and the coolant cap off to vent any air bubbles. not doing this will give you air buble in your system and a damaged head gasket.
 
#18 ·
you most lower or raise the engine to allow room for removal, i went up . its not that hard if you can turn a wrench you can do it. I put the jack under the oil pan , removed the one bolt for the water bottle and set aside, moved the power steering reservoir to one side, removed engine mount , removed bolts on water pump pulley and removed then i raise the engine as far as i could and wedged a long pry bare between fender and a different pulley in order to push the engine over slightly to allow removal and did not have to remove the ac pump this way
 
#21 ·
I've had to replace my water pump on my wagon Zetec DOHC twice now, and both times I had to lower the engine a bit, and it fell right out.

This is no more then a hour long job if that.

Good write up though, the pic's really give members a feeling for what they are about to do.
 
#22 ·
Awesome post...

I just had the water pump go on my 2003 ZTS, and not wanting to blow $400-500 on a shop doing it, I did what any self-respecting fellow would do: googled it, and found this thread. Fantastic resource.

Took me and my dad almost 3 hrs this afternoon. Did not remove the motor mount (well, it never came off the car, it was loosened), nor the AC pump. Extracting the pump was exactly as described (the manufacturing engineer who said that was enough clearance between the motor and frame needs a kick in the junk.. just sayin'), but reinstallation was considerably harder. We wound up using a prybar between the (stuck to the motor) motor mount and the fender to wiggle the engine around a little. Seems the replacement pump was *slightly* larger than the OEM (maybe 1/16th of an inch) and it took an act of Congress to get it back in the cavity.

Another thread had a diagram of the serpentine belt (thank god!) but it took my dad (a retired automotive engineer and guy who's been working on cars for 60 years) and me (former helicopter mechanic and tech guy) about 20 minutes of head scratching and google-ing (mostly headscratching) to figure out the belt tensioner. My dad was looking for the 1/2" square drive hole for the long breaker bar. I wound up getting up under the car and looking at the tensioner for a minute before I realized how it worked. The 12 or 14mm open end on the pulley bolt was the trick, but only after I stuck another wrench on the end of that for some leverage. My tensioner was was stiff. When the belt goes eventually, its only going to take me 15 minutes to slap a new one on. Sweeet....

Thanks so much for the photos and clear description. This thread was instrumental in helping me save a couple hundred dollars that I didn't have to start with.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Job Complete!!

The photos here were invaluable, thank you! However, as everyone seems like they've had different experiences, I did as well. Deciding to do everything to avoid fiddling with the motor mount, I dropped the A/C compressor AND removed the compressor mounting plate. Once I did that, this job just got a whole lot simpler.

Getting the old pump out and the new pump in took a little patience but I noticed with the new one, while looking at the pump in sorta an isometric view, no two sides of the pump (bolt-hole to bolt-hole on 4 sides) was the same. So, it's kinda like a Rubik's Cube... I successfully turned the pump until the right "edge" allowed me to insert the pump (pulley-side first as noted above), rotate it 180 degrees and viola... I was in business.

I also ended up having to go buy a new overflow tank as mine was developing cracks and was probably leaking under pressure. Those little suckers are expensive! ~$78 from the dealer - the only place in town that had one in stock. (Didn't want to wait to order one.)

Thanks again to everyone who's contributed to this thread.

--------------------------
Smack-dab in the middle of doing this and following this guide. Got the pump loose and can see how many a butt-kicking of the factory engineer is necessary. Just needed another 1/4" clearance?!

Will be loosening the A/C compressor tomorrow as I think I can get it out without dropping the motor. But, I have a capable floor jack just in case. Will report back when complete.
 
#25 ·
Can you post up a picture of what your overflow tank looked like? I'm wondering if I have some leaks as well. I'd hate to replace my water pump only to find out I have a leaky overflow tank.
 
#26 ·
Unfortunately, I can't. The trash came today.

However, mine was very yellowed - the way old plastic looks when it sits out in the sun too long - and the cracks were hairline fractures that I mistook as scratches. Closer inspection though revealed that they were indeed cracks and went all the way through the plastic on the underside of the tank. It didn't leak with fluid just sitting in it, but under pressure, it was squirting out and spraying on the belt - which in turn flung it all over the engine compartment.

So, I'm not 100% certain that my water pump needed replacing, but I'm glad I've got it done regardless.
 
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