trying to change the water pump in my 96 se. im having trouble getting the water pump out. i tried threading 2 M8 bolts and i tightened them down tight. the water pump doesnt even budge. i feel like im going to snap the bolts. is there any other way of removing the water pump?? or tips of how to get the damn thing out?? thanks

 

http://www1.autozone.com/servlet/UiB...3d801f47d4.jsp

 

Have you created slack on the chain? And which bolts are you using to try to force it out? I always use the bolts that hold down the tensioner pulley bracket.

 

i tried using the tensioner bolts but i thought there werent enough threads, so i got longer bolts, still dont work.... is there any way i can use a pry bar to wedge it out?? i got the slack on the chain. i did the counterclockwise 20 degrees turn on the crank pulley.

 

The tensioner bolts will work fine. I've use those a few times already.


BTW, have you removed all 3 bolts holding the pump in?

 

ya i removed the 3 bolts, the short ones. and i used the upper and bottom holes to thread in the new bolts, is that right??

 

You might need more than 20 degrees. I definitely did...

 

why is that?? i dont wanna turn it back too much and have it jump a tooth.

 

You won't jump a tooth. The way the chain goes around the gears, and the way the gears are designed with those long teeth, I don't even think it's physically possible. You may hear a click or something from a small part on the chain slightly unseating and then falling right back into place, but trust me, the chain would break LONG before you jumped a tooth.... and FYI, you can't break the chain unless you crank at your engine with a big breaker bar while something in or around it is totally seized -- in which case you have bigger problems anyway.

When I did my water pump, I was turning my engine back and forth up to 270 degrees trying to figure out what was going on. Guess what... no problems. Just the crazy timing chain clatter that you're supposed to get for a few minutes when you turn the car on for the first time after the job.

So yeah... don't go crazy on it, but don't sweat it either.

 

The chain clatter should go away after a few seconds. How did you determine you needed more than 20 degrees anyway? Are you using the marks on the crank pulley? I did and i think 20* or a little bit less did the trick.

 

First I used before-and-after angles on the breaker bar I was using to turn the crank pulley. When that didn't work out, I tried observing/testing the chain to see at what point I got the slack I needed. I'm not sure where it was because I spent a lot of time cranking it back and forth like a n00b, but I know it was definitely more than 20 deg. from where I started.

I should note, though, that when I removed that pump from that engine while my DE-K swap was in progress, 20 degrees did the trick perfectly. I have no idea what was up that first time...

 

Is it possible to have enough slack in the timing chain to remove the water pump? Or do you have to remove the tensioner to get more slack?

 

I've heard one story and one story only where the tensioner wasn't removed. Judging from personal experience, though, I really can't understand how that would be possible.

 

You MUST remove the Tensioner to get slack on the chain. If you actually get the pump out without totally wrecking the chain, then good luck trying to get the new pump in without breaking something and actually being able to get the bolts in the pump. No Go.

 

is there any way i can pry the on the pump to help loosen the water pump?? i will get to work on it on sunday. just trying to get some ideas before i try again, thanks

 

Nope. Gotta use the bolts.

Next time you try it, just make sure you have enough slack to move the timing chain completely off the pump's gear teeth before you start backing the pump out using the bolts. It will NOT come out until you remove the chain from it.

 

had some time today to work on the car and with my luck the damn flanges broke off while tightening down the bolts to push out the water pump. i tightened them down evenly also. how can i take the stupid water pump out now?? do i have to remove the front cover?? seems like a pain to get the front cover off....any advice?? thanks

 

Did you take the chain off the teeth first?

 

yup, i pushed the chain up and out of the way. this sucks!!!

 

Did you drain all your oil and coolant?

 

didnt drain the oil but the coolant was drained. am i the only one that has this happened??

 

You'll need to drain the oil as well, so you might as well do that.

I'm really scrambling for explanations here, though. If you removed all three of the bolts holding it in and took the chain off the teeth entirely, there should be nothing holding it in and it should back out fairly easily...

 

I agree. You must be missing something here. Get all three of the bolts off of the water pump, get the chain off of the "teeth" of the water pump and it will slide out of the motor with ease. I wish I was closer to you, i would come and help.

See if a buddy, or a macanic friend can come over and lend a hand.

-matt

 

i'm 100% positive i took all three bolts out and chain has slack. i can move the chain loosely with my finger. do i need to water pump drain plug?? thats one thing i didnt remove. do i need to remove the front cover now that the tabs for pushing out the pump is broken?? is it a pain to get the cover off??

 

Hold up. Does the chain just have slack, or is it completely removed from the teeth on the pump?

 

i can move it above the top of the teeth

 

Okay. But the water pump WILL NOT COME OUT unless the chain is COMPLETELY OFF the teeth. You have to back the pump out a little until you can the chain off and move it off and behind the teeth, and then take the pump the rest of the way out.

 

my problem is now i cant back the pump out because the 2 flanges that are threaded broke off while trying to back the pump out.....