tricks for getting the &&^%%$# water pump out?

[lostforawhile]

any body know any tricks for making the water pump removal eaisier?it's been so long since i replaced one,I have forgotten. of course you can't get to any of the bolts. I already figured i would have to drop the alternator down to remove the bracket, can the pump be put into place without taking the lower timing belt cover loose? I figure thats what is whining,the timing belt tensioner is new,the alternator is new,the power steering pump is rebuilt. the Ac compressor is dead and disconnected from life support. the only thing left is the pump. it's running a little bit hot at idle and is fine at higher rpms. it also heats up when the heat or defroster is on. I figure the impeller is gone and it loses pressure when the heat valve opens. like turning on two faucets. if the impeller is gone that also explains why it cools fine at higer rpms. it causes some cavitation due to it being worn. everything else in the cooling system is new,new radiator,new heater core,all new hoses,even the little ones. the belt isn't slipping eithier.

[gp02a0083]

no no no u dont have to drop the altinator , i did it taking it out through the top take off the cam gear cover and u should be able to get to it

[AccordEpicenter]

I think you have to take off the alternator bracket or at least loosen it up, same with the front timing cover to get at a couple of hard to reach bolts, but you might be able to just take the top half off. Its a bitch. Did you do a thermostat too? If its a genuine honda water pump it would be the first one ive ever seen to eat an impeller, but an aftermarket one might do this, especially if its whining. Do your fans work?

[lostforawhile]

I think you have to take off the alternator bracket or at least loosen it up, same with the front timing cover to get at a couple of hard to reach bolts, but you might be able to just take the top half off. Its a bitch. Did you do a thermostat too? If its a genuine honda water pump it would be the first one ive ever seen to eat an impeller, but an aftermarket one might do this, especially if its whining. Do your fans work?

yea the fans work fine,so does the thermostat,it's pretty new also. as far as I know I'm going to assume it's an aftermarket one. I only had one go out on a honda before. it's cheap insurance anyway. I got a brand new one from nappa. i've had really good luck with their parts before.

[lostforawhile]

no no no u dont have to drop the altinator , i did it taking it out through the top take off the cam gear cover and u should be able to get to it

I thought about just taking it off it's brackets and letting it sit on the axle. the hard part about the alternator is getting it past the axle,but it doesn't need to come all the way out.

[ChaseR]

WHen I do things like this I lift the entire motor out, its much easier to work on when its on a stand...

[MessyHonda]

WHen I do things like this I lift the entire motor out, its much easier to work on when its on a stand...

....so when you do a tune up you take out the engine....the water pump is not hard...i did it on my Lx-i with the help of my uncle....i also changed the drive belts and the timing belt....took me and my uncle like 2 hours...

[ghettogeddy]

ya u have to take the top timing cover off and just take the bolts from the bottom cover off fron the side of the water pump then its pritty simple after that i did the water pummp in mine in like 4hours by myself and u do want to drop the alt and braket but u dont have to take it all the way out other then that its just feeling for the lower water pump bolts and taking them out then its in with the new one, i think theres only 2 bolts hidden by the lower timing belt cover

[88Accord-DX]

One thing I like to do when working in that area is to take out the side motor mount. But that would be a little more trouble than it's worth. If you have telescoping mirror, that works good for finding hard to see bolts, along with a drop light.

[lostforawhile]

One thing I like to do when working in that area is to take out the side motor mount. But that would be a little more trouble than it's worth. If you have telescoping mirror, that works good for finding hard to see bolts, along with a drop light.

I have every kind of wierd tool under the sun,and a bunch I made,I was just hoping I wouldn't have to take that stupid cover off the lower timing belt. I guess I could take out the bolts around it and just bend the cover out of the way. it's flexible.
I almost replaced this stupid thing when I did the timing belt (Tim kicks himself) (tim kicks himself a second time) but NOOOOOOOOO! it was fine.