theWalkinator

96 Maxima 178,000 miles, water pump seals went bad for while, leaking coolant on cold morning and on damp day when car is cold, belt creates high pitch churning sound for like 30 seconds when start engine. This has been going on for couple of years and finally today is not that hot I decided to tackle the problem by replacing WP O-rings.

It is PITA, problem after problem, first, radiator plastic drain plug stripped, so I have to take out the hose to get coolant drained, then spent 1.5 hours to take out belt tensioner. After that, 3 hours try to take out chain tensioner. I cannot get stop pin inserted with two holding bolts on, so finally I loosened the two bolts enough to get the piston half way out of chain guide then I was able to push the piston back and insert a pin (paper clip).

Now so far so good, but then bigger problem, I took out 3 bolts holding WP, then when I was trying to use M8 bolts to walk WP out, I mistakenly tried insert one M8 bolt on to the top non-threaded hole, struggled awhile then my hand slipped, dropping the M8x400mm bolt inside the engine!

OK, so I have to run HD to get another M8 bolt, walked out WP no problem this time, it turned out indeed the coolant O-ring (black one) is bad, flattened in the grove, no elasticity at all and when I tried to take it out, it just snapped, the red oil O-ring seems still fine but since I got both replacement O-rings, then I just replaced both. What happened next really screwed up big time. It is on and off raining today and the day is getting darker so I was little rush trying to put WP back. WP went in but mounting holes were miss-aligned a little so I cannot screw the bolts back, then when I was trying walking WP out again, it stuck, slightly out of plump. I tried to taped WP but no use. It was getting dark and raining again so I just shut hood and went back inside.

Now I have two problems and need help:

1. M8 bolt dropped in engine, so would I be able to retrieve it if I drop the oil pan?
2. What to do with the stuck WP? I bet the O-rings are gone, if I use brutal force, would I damage something beside WP? WP is properly shot too.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

metalgod3082

1. Get one of those long telescoping magents. I've heard people have had success in retrieving bolts,springs, etc that have fallen while doing the water pump. You might get lucky. If not you gotta remove the front timing chaing cover which is a PITA.
2. How exactly is the pump stuck? Is it the new pump or the old one?

theWalkinator

OK, I saw Harbor Freight has one 19" long flexible magnet, will get one. It is the old pump, it got stuck because it went in with a slight angle I guess.

Max_Gator

I think you are just going to have to work at the pump. There is no real secret. You just need to get some leverage on it to get it flush again. You may have to walk it on, on one side and then back off on the other. I seem to recall having somewhat of a problem on one of my installs in the past

I'd pick up an extra set of orings, pull it out, check the orings and replace as necessary.

You haven't even gotten to the worst part of the job yet.... putting the access door back on!

And I know it is too late . . . but the best way to deal with the dang power steering belt is to cut it off, then just walk it back on. You put it around the ps pulley and as much on the crank pulley as possible. Then use a ratchet to turn the crank while pushing the belt on. MUCH easier.

metalgod3082

Should be able to push it back out using the M8 bolts like you originally got it out. Then just make sure when you put it back in you screw in each bolt a little at a time so it goes in straight.

JvG

Um......

you are going to all this work to remove and replace the OLD water pump, the one with 180k on it? How much longer until the pump itself has a problem? Then you would have to do what you are doing ALL OVER AGAIN.

Following the old wisdom of "while you are in there anyway you might as well........

Install a new water pump while you are in there any way!!!!!!!!!!

I am also at 180k. My radiator is failing. New Koyorad radiator arrived today. I will also install all new hoses. I might also do the water pump as preventative maintainece

Climaxx

iTrader: (4)

Because oem water pumps rarely go bad. The seals are the only part that goes bad.

theWalkinator

I managed to get water pump out with some light tapping and some persuasion to get it back to flash and then walked it out again. The pump doesn't seem to be damaged at all, original Nissan part, seals are not nipped but inner (coolant) seal has some slack so that needs to be replaced again.

I am going to get Harbor Freight flexible magnet tomorrow, not sure if I can fish out the M8 bolt dropped in, I cannot see a thing through the WP opening. Would it dropped all the way to the bottom of the oil pan?

metalgod3082

No it wouldn't have gotten all the way down to the oil pan. Probably would be somewhere in the red circle below:

theWalkinator

Oh great, do I have to take timing chain cover out to reach there? Any moving part in that dead corner? What happen if I just leave the bolt there?

metalgod3082

Don't leave it in there, it can do some major damage to the engine. But using the telescoping magnet you can hopefully get it out. If you are unsuccessful then you would need to take the front timing chain cover off to get it out.

Climaxx

iTrader: (4)

Well that's a 3.5, but still the same concept.

theWalkinator

OK, I bought Harbor Freight flexible magnet and telescoping magnet, as well as telescoping inspection mirror. Both magnet do not work because of the head of magnets are too big to go in, I cannot see deep inside even with the inspection mirror.
[IMG]http://forums.maxima.org/<a href=http://s811.photobucket.com/user/theWalkinator/media/IMAG0359_zps30e3f65f.jpg.html target=_blank>

Then I use a old antenna mast to poke through and felt it all went the way to the steel oil pan, so finally I decide to drop the oil pan, 10 bolts came out easily, then I use 5" drywall taping knife to insert in between and to split it open, with not much effort, the steel oil pan came loose, then I pulled it down, some oil splashed on the driveway, but here it is, the M8 bolt is in the bottom of the oil pan!



OK, it is all good now, I also see some coolant in the oil pan so it validates my decision to drop oil pan anyway. I ordered another set of O-rings, will be here tomorrow, so I will install water pump back first before I re-install oil pan in case something else drops in again.

Thanks guys, now I need to clean the oil pan, scrap out the oil gasket sealant from both mating surfaces to prepare for re-installation.

theWalkinator

OK, finally put everything back, replaced both belt too. Ready to fill oil and coolant, only to find that the oil filter does not come with oil drain plug washer, so I need to get one tomorrow.

cool

metalgod, do you have picture of the water drain plug on the engine block? been trying to look for it in order to drain water so i may not have to take down the crank case oil pan to change while changing my water pump, would appreciate if you can e mail me philipsee1@yahoo.com

Fakie J Farkerton

iTrader: (51)

If you watched the video I posted last time you asked this question you would see what you needed to know.
Guy who made the YouTube video is an active org'er.
If you want to drain your fluid, just use the drain plug in the radiator or pull the lower hose.
The other two drain plugs I know about on the block are located under or near the headers iirc, but I know they are near impossible to reach.
You will need to drain your oil if replace the pump and leave the oil drain plug out, but that is described in better detail in the YouTube video.
Good luck.