Read my present issue with the knock sensor. I present that as evidentiary point #1.


Evidentialy point #2:
The manual pretty lays out how to remove the water pump...yeah right!

Three screws on the passenger side come out fairly easily. On the driver side, its a different issue. I can see the top screw, middle one is hidden by the power steering pulley and the bottom one by the drive belt adjuster. So, the manual says to remove the drive belt. No problem, standard GM/Ford spring loaded tensioner. Of course what they don't tell you is that its difficult to get the socket and long handle ratchet on there due to that cross brace. Further, once its on, you can't get it off with the tensioner not under pressure from the drive belt anymore. So now my long handle rachet is stuck on the tensioner until I put the belt back, hopefully. Maybe I should have used my breaker bar! Not as wide! Ughh!

Uh, the middle bolt on the WP is hidden by two neoprene type hoses. Can't get a socket in there from the side since the hoses do not let you access the bolt. Do you go through the pulley holes for this one? Getting it on is going to be a joy.

While I'm here, I figure I might do the wires and plugs. Driver side wheel well needs to be removed? Is it pieced together that I only have to take out the piece closest to the cabin? Seems there's some stuff bolted to it. Do I remove all that stuff as well?

Of course it got late, after my knock sensor adventure, the mosquitoes came out and it started to rain. All in all, a great day!!!!

Now who designed these things? Frustration level high, incentive to sell or put under cover for another year also high!

Ralf

You have a camber brace? If so, you'll want to remove that for the water pump R&R or your life will be miserable. It makes the belt removal a challenge - I bought one of those long serpentine belt tools and bent it "just so", and use a crow's foot head on it.

You should think about replacing hoses as long as you've got the system drained, if there's any question about their age or condition.

It's the vacuum hose for the opti that is in your way for that W/P bolt. There's a clip that holds it to the accessory bracket. You should be able to snake in there with a wobble extension. It might help to unbolt the power steering pump - you'll want to do that to run new plug wires anyway.

I only take out the center section of the driver's side wheel well to do plugs, but I have headers now, so it's a bit easier. I've had that thing off so many times I should've just velcro'd it back on.

When I did my water pump, I removed the coil and the belt tensioner - gave me a little more elbow room. Cleaning the gasket material off the block is a joy, so any little bit of room you can make is welcome.

Ralph, you are just having a bad day. The neoprene hoses are probalby the vac vent hoses to the opti. Take them loose at the intake and the air bridge and move them aside. I wouldn't remove them from the opti. A swivel socket and short extension will get you to the driver's side bolts, rotate the PS pulley as needed. Wait until it is time to clean the gasket surfaces on the block, that is the real fun part.

edit

You have a camber brace?

I recall now that the factory opti's fresh air hose also routes down there - it's a bit different on the MSD. At any rate, just mark them and disconnect them at the top, unclip from the accessory bracket and swing 'em out of the way.

Whoa! More fun! You guys are great! While I'm writing, you're giving answers! Yeah, bad day. I disconnected the hoses at the top, why didn't I just pull them all the way out, leaving connected at the bottom? Duh!! Bad day is right!!!!!!!!!!! Now what about this cleaning part? Ugh! That's not in the manual either!

Camber brace? If that sits over the top, joining the shock towers, I don't have one. I was talking about a cross bar low down by the radiator area, right in front of the belt tensioner???? I took a cursory glance but I thought it was welded to both sides of the frame!

Ah, is that where vacuum hose for the opti is. To remove the PS pump, do I take off the alternator as well? Bracing for the alternator? Manual doesn't say any of this!

Quote:

It sounds like a camber brace, if so it has to come off to get the pump off. A camber brace bolts to the front A arm bolt on each side and is an aftemarket, not factory item.
Leave the PS pump alone, there is no reason to mess with it unless you want to do the wires, which I would leave alone until you do the opti (hopefully no time soon).

How about a picture of the brace you are referring to.

The camber brace is an aftermarket item - it's the thing that says "R-D Racing" on it in this pic:




If you don't have one, then it should be a breeze. At least compared to brain surgery.

You don't need to remove the alternator to do the PS pump - there are just 5-6 bolts that hold it in, and you can get to them all via the holes in the pulley. You don't need to remove them, just loosen enough so that you can slide the pump forward to make it easier to snake the wires in behind.

Once again, I'll state that if you have an LT1 and don't have a $24 p/s pully remover/installer, you're going to have a bunch of extra work to do.

Well, I don't have a camber brace, at least not on this car. The Miata has one. RX7 used to but I removed it.

I do have a pulley remover. Tried that. The pulley wouldn't budge but maybe I need to put more on it. I was getting tired and packed it in when i couldn't get the wrench to turn any more on the extraction bolt of the pulley remover. Always something.

Well, I don't have a camber brace, at least not on this car. The Miata has one. RX7 used to but I removed it.

I do have a pulley remover. Tried that. The pulley wouldn't budge but maybe I need to put more on it. I was getting tired and packed it in when i couldn't get the wrench to turn any more on the extraction bolt of the pulley remover. Always something.

Yea, the pulley does come off hard the first time, it'll go back on easier. It comes off fairly easy the second time but still has enough interference to run the pump.

95, the '84 has all those components bolted to the front of the water pump......it was a two day job for me.....First day to take everything...and I mean everything of the front....The next day I put it all back together.

For an example....How would buying new Valve cover gaskets be related to swapping a water pump??? I'll tell you over a beer one day.

Just stay focused and take a few more breaks from this job, you'll get it done.

Quote:

You can do it without removing the wheel well but, it makes it a pain in the ass. Besides, removing wells on both sides takes 5 minutes. The ARS unit is just 3 or 4 bolts to loosen. The washers leave nice marks on the wheel well for realignment.
If you get the p/s pulley off, you won't have to loosen the pump, you'll be able to see the opti, and snake the wires behind the pump. Do the wires before you put the waterpmp back on.
If you plan to use the stock looms (wire holders) be very, very gentle uncliping them, the plastic get hard from heat.
If you go with aftermarket wires, 8mm max to fit the stock looms. I use Taylor SpiroPro's, excellent fit.
#8 plug that everyone complains about isn't that hard, you need a short plug socket that has a hex on the end and you use it with an open end wrench.

Great advice starting with take my time and thank you for the primer on the spark plug issue. That's next before the pump goes back on! I had a little of that time today and crawled back under the car with the new flame throwing apparatus I bought at HD. Got everything nice and hot...no joy. I was just taking metal off the stud when i tried to turn it.

Went back topside. Looked at the issues and decided that PS pump pulley had to come off. Took the pulley puller and my breaker bar. Came off nice and easy though it took a while. WOW!!!!!!! That is the way to go, thanks Bill! Once the pulley is off and i know its not in the manual, there sure is a ton of access. All the bolts are visible, no universal joints, etc needed, straight access.

#! Easy
So, I pried the pump off and there's the tube that joins the splined end from the WP to the motor splined end. I have to take that off the old pump. Do I just pry that off??

#2 Weird
Next question, on the back off the old pump, I can see ball bearings. I also have a washer in my hand and a wavey washer as well. Looks like the new pump has a rubber washer and on the motor is a bearing around the plined end. I'm guessing the washers came off the old pump, maybe the reason it was leaking?

#3 Clarification
I need to clean this thing but there's no oil dripping off the splined shaft or on the opti. It is just dirty as all get out. Can I clean with Simple Green or Cstrol Super Clean (Purple stuff)? I know I can't use engine cleaner and spray due to the opti (guess I could cover in plastic though). Its really filthy and greasy all in that area and the pulleys! Need to clean!!

Ralf

Just pop the coupler off of the water pump shaft and remember which end is which. You will want to make sure you have a new o-ring for the engine shaft (the new water pump should come with a new o-ring on it). On mine there weren't any washers, just the coupler. When it's time to put the new pump on, you may have to turn the engine a smidgen to get the coupler to line up with both shafts (just turn with a socket on the crank bolt).

Simple Green will be fine to clean up the mess - just keep the opti dry.

Where does the o ring sit on the engine side? ( can see the o ring on the water pump, its pressed in there I think) Right up against the bearing? Bearing is flush with the block so there isn't a place for the o ring to sit inside anything. I don't know if there was one originally...I guess it sits between the coupler and the bearing which is in the block? Thanks Brad!

Ralf

The o-ring for the engine side should be up pretty close to the seal, at the end of the splines. Mine was hard as a rock, broke in 2 when I went to remove it.

I also packed some grease in the coupler before putting it back together.

OK, so the o ring sits between the engine and the coupler on the splined shaft What kind of grease in the coupler?

The o-ring should sit in a little groove in the shaft, and the coupler should slide over the o-ring, just as it does on the water pump shaft. I just used some general-purpose grease, nothing special.

Another note - make sure you have thread sealant or RTV to coat the WP bolt threads, as the bolts go into the water jacket. I used Permatex thread sealant, works well.

OK, makes sense. I'll have to go to the dealer I guess for that o ring.

BTW, you mention thread sealer and you know that gives me the complete heebie jeebies with that knock sensor being stuck issue I've got in the block, right?

Har! Hope you can get that sensor worked out - must be extremely frustrating.

Just take the o-ring off of the water pump and bring it to NAPA - they'll have one in that size.

buy an assortment of o-rings from one of the 12 volt stores. get neoprin. One of them will fit and you will have an o-ring for every occasion.

That sensor stub is a real pain. I've never encountered something like this before!

I went or found that NAISSO site you referenced in a CF posting a while back. (Bad place). That post had some great pictures and those o-rings are very clearly pictured, never mind the directions that you gave!! I hadn't thought of NAPA!

Andy, what's a 12 volt store?

Just a note on the p/s pully reinstall, the spec is flush to the shaft with a + 0.030 tolerance. If it feels flush with your finger, you're fine.

Thanks Bill. Does it help to put a light layer of oil on the shaft?

Quote:

No, No, keep this pressfit dry.
You'll find that the pully is a little easier to put on that take off and if you have to do it again, it will be fairly easy.

OK, will do. I'll clean off the dirt and dust and push it back on. That little Harbor Freight set I got for this is really worthwhile in this case. The access removing the pulley gives you is incredible. All those issues with trying to get a socket on the lower two WP bolts just go away.

Here is what I do to let tension off the belt tensioner. I purchased a cheap 1/2 inch pull handle that has a screw holding the 1/2 inch drive head to the handle. Remove the screw and put the 1/2inch piece into the tensioner then sinply slip the handle over it without the screw. When finished pull the 1/2inch piece out and re-attach it to the pull handle with the screw to keep all parts together. Bought mine at flea market for $2.00.