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View Full Version : Threw the belt on the interstate....waterpump?



BMRisko
10-31-2005, 01:20 AM
Well, I was cruising along on my merry way at 75mph and all of a sudden I heard a growling and a cloud of smoke behind me. I lost power steering and the temp shot up, so I pulled to the shoulder to find the belt hanging off. I managed to get the belt back on by using a hi-lift handle for leverage, but there was still an awful grinding / bad bearing noise at idle and coolant was lightly spraying everywhere. When they loaded it on the rollback, coolant was pouring out at a pretty steady stream and the battery guage wasn't registering. I havent had a chance to look under it b/c of the dark, but it barely started, which sounded like a dead battery as well (that baffles me). From the looks of things, it sounds like a bearing in the water pump shaft has failed which is causing the coolant loss and a thrown belt. My only thought for the battery problem is that the belt damaged an alternator cable on the way off. Luckily, AAA was able to tow me the 170 miles back to my apartment. I have a feeling I will be having a shop replace this as I don't have any tools at school with me and honestly I don't feel like messing with it right now. Any ideas...waterpump?

TrojanMan
10-31-2005, 01:38 AM
Yeah, sounds like waterpump. They're cheap anyway.. so even if it doesn't solve it - it's not like you're out a lot of money.

BMRisko
10-31-2005, 05:47 PM
Does anyone know any specifics for the tools that I will need (socket and wrench size wise)? I am going to replace it in my apartment parking lot, but since I won't have another vehicle I need to make as few trips as possible to the shop to get tools.

Thanks.

Tommy
10-31-2005, 05:54 PM
Check the tensioner pulley as well. I did the same thing except my serpintine belt was in small pieces all over the 15 fwy. Pulled mine off and it had 4 ball bearings left in it.

Tommy
10-31-2005, 05:58 PM
Puller and make sure you don't put the pulley on backwards. It tends to be hard to get off if you do. Last water pump i did was on a chevy 1500 and I see to remember it coming with a puller.

TrojanMan
10-31-2005, 06:16 PM
What engine size? Do a search on JU, I did a write up on how to do it.

BMRisko
10-31-2005, 06:23 PM
What engine size? Do a search on JU, I did a write up on how to do it.

Its a 5.2. I'll search over there and see what I find.

Anything I should watch out for? The new waterpump I am getting has the pulley already on it. I assume there are no tricks in bolting the new one up after the gasket is applied? I checked the tensioner and it seemed to spin fine. I guess I will go ahead and replace the thermostat while I am in there.

BMRisko
10-31-2005, 06:29 PM
I didn't find much on JU, but the consensus seems to be that removing the fan is the hardest part.

OverkillZJ
10-31-2005, 06:35 PM
I HATE removing the damn fan. I've got nothing in front of my engine (cut up for buggying) and I'm still having trouble getting it off. I don't have a clue how I did it when it was still a real Jeep.

JeepinHank
10-31-2005, 06:46 PM
The fan's the worst - especially considering you don't have the belt on there to help hold it in place. I don't seem to remember any special tools (ie 12pt or funky metric size sockets) when I swapped out mine on the 4.0. Plan for it to take a day. It probably won't, but don't rush yourself, and allow plenty of time to get all of the air out of the system.

Good luck.

TrojanMan
10-31-2005, 07:19 PM
Back when I had the stock fan I could change a water pump in about 3 hours or so. Now that I have an e-fan, it shouldn't take more than half an hour to an hour.

BMRisko
11-01-2005, 12:09 PM
Well the fan clutchremoval wrench set that I rented from Autozone appears to be worthless unless I just don't know how to use it. So far the fan nut will not budge with a sledge and a huge wrench. I can tell this is going to be fun!:smt108

Well, that was easy...a long pipe over the wrench and a screwdriver holding the bolts (resting against a ratchet wedged in the alternator bracket) works wonders. Does anyone want to host videos of how much play is in this water pump? The pulley was so busted it cut a deep groove in the water pump when it let go. Pretty sweet!

BMRisko
11-01-2005, 12:44 PM
Guess the pulley isn't supposed to do this?

http://www.mallcrawlin.com/videos/Busted%20Water%20Pump.AVI

TrojanMan
11-01-2005, 12:54 PM
When I do mine I keep the belt on and keep it tight.. that keeps the pulley from budging while you play with the nuts.

Hurricane 4x4
11-04-2005, 11:43 PM
while you play with the nuts.


don't play with your nuts

unscrew them

nate
11-05-2005, 02:43 PM
That fan nut is a PITA. It's nice on the 4.0s with just the 13mm nuts holding the fan on though.

One of the guys I know put an electric fan on his Dakota (5.2L). He couldn't get that nut off. I walk into the garage, and he's got a sawzall haha.... cut the fan off and called it a day.

TrojanMan
11-05-2005, 04:30 PM
Which direction does the water pump spin on the V8? Is the bolt reverse thread?

BMRisko
11-05-2005, 07:15 PM
Which direction does the water pump spin on the V8? Is the bolt reverse thread?

The bolt is just a normal thread. I got mine off pretty easily with a big crescent, a long pipe to use as a breaker bar and a large screwdriver placed to hold the pulley bolts in place. It was alot easier than people make it out to be.