So I'm in the middle of this DIY and it's been a little tougher than I expected. I spent a long time removing the hard to reach screw on the pump and then a long time trying to get the large coolant hose off in order to make way for the pump to slide out. Here are my questions. I literally had to put rope around the hose and pull like hell. The hose removal hook didn't help me much with this hose in particular.

1. Any tips for getting that hard to reach screw back in when I install the new pump?

2. Is there an alternative to the spring type clamp for the large coolant hose? It really doesn't expand much bigger than the outer diameter of the hose making it a pain to manipulate.

Thanks and Happy Holidays.

 

I don't have an answer for the screw.......as for the clamp why not just get the type with a screw to tighten?

 

I replaced mine a year or so ago. As for the bolt, nothing but patience, and a few extender sockets. I got it started and threaded it by hand as much as I possibly could, and then hooked up my extender set to get the socket on it and put the finishing touches on it.

Regarding the hose, it is A HUGE pain in the @ss. If you change your thermostat as well, you don't need to remove it. Once I had the water pump free, I couldn't get it out (because of the hose you are referencing, and after some trying, couldn't get it pulled off). So, I unbolted the entire thermostat housing which was connected to another hose, and then had plenty of room to drop water pump, put new one in, and go from there. If you go this route, don't forget the T-stat gasket as well.

GL,

DS

 

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

If you haven't already done it, removing the old pump and installing the new one is much easier from the top. You need to remove an idler pulley, but once that's out of the way, the in and out is a slam dunk.

Use normal hose clamps - at least one hose leaked when I reused the OEM clamps.

 

Hmm I tried removing the idler pulley but still didn't have enough clearance. That was the first thing I tried and then decided to pull the hose going to the thermostat. Do you have to loosen the engine mounts in order to create more space?

 

I followed this DIY, including loosening the various carrier bolts as mentioned, but I removed/replaced the pump from above instead of below.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...eplacement.htm

 

Got water pump back in. The troublesome bolt only took me about 15 minutes to get back in. Took me much longer to get it out when removing the pump. I used a small wrench with a quarter inch drive, an extension, a universal joint and a 10 mm short socket. Patience is key. I just ordered some screw type clamps from Pelican so I will wait until they arrive to reconnect the hoses and pressure test. Good thing it's not my daily driver.