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Replacing Water Pump

tgregg

tgregg

NAXJA Member #1444
Location
Oak Hills, CA top of Cajon Pass
My pump is starting to leak on my 95 4.0. Before I start digging at it I have a question. How much do I need to take off to change the pump out? The biggie is do I need to pull the radiator?
 
No you don't pull the radiator. You will drain the engine coolant, remove the electric fan on the drivers side, break loose the bolts that attach the waterpump pulley to the waterpump, and then remove the belt. Then you are free too remove the waterpump. If you haven't done so recently, its a great time for new hoses, belts, and thermostat. Make sure you have a tube of RTV sealant handy and coat both sides of the waterpump gasket ( the new waterpump should come with a new gasket). This guide should help you http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoWaterpump.htm
 
cklaus said:
No you don't pull the radiator. You will drain the engine coolant, remove the electric fan on the drivers side, break loose the bolts that attach the waterpump pulley to the waterpump, and then remove the belt. Then you are free too remove the waterpump. If you haven't done so recently, its a great time for new hoses, belts, and thermostat. Make sure you have a tube of RTV sealant handy and coat both sides of the waterpump gasket ( the new waterpump should come with a new gasket). This guide should help you http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoWaterpump.htm
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot....just what I needed to know.
gregg
 
OK, I'm into it....it looks to me like the power steering pump and bracket need to come off and after taking it partly off there is a hidden bolt, the end is under the manifolds but I can't find the hex end. It seems to be behind the pump. Is it possible to remove and re-install the water pump and leave the P/S pump bracket in place? Of course removing the 2 bolts that bolt it to the water pump.
gregg
 
You don't have to remove the PS pump. Just loosen the bolts and back out/in the adjuster to get some play in the belt so can get it off (the belt, that is)
 
ParadiseXJ said:
You don't have to remove the PS pump. Just loosen the bolts and back out/in the adjuster to get some play in the belt so can get it off (the belt, that is)
Click to expand...

Thank you....I'll try it tomorrow.
 
I just did mine a couple weeks ago. There are three (IIRC) bolts on the back side of the P/S pump that hold it in position and one adjustment bolt on a slider beneath it. The slider has a hold-down bolt as well. I ended up loosening a couple of unnecessary bracket bolts in front trying to find the right ones, double check all bolts when you put it back together.

The water pump itself has two bolts that attach it to the P/S pump bracket and four bolts that hold it to the block. You can slip the new pump with the gasket held in place with permatex behind this bracket without taking the bracket loose, use care and go slowly so you don't disrupt the new gasket while getting it back there.
 
Thanks, it sure would make the job easier if the P/S pump didn't have to come out. Some directions say to leave the engine fan and shroud on and some say take it off. So far I have the shroud loose so I can just move it out of the way and it doesn't look like the fan needs to come off but there is a tube coming out of the water pump on the passenger side top running up and back along the valve cover. I haven't tried dealing with that yet.
 
I took the thermostat off and the fitting is the heater line...duh! I was trying to NOT take off the thermostat as I just changed out the thermostat a month ago but it became obvious the thermo needed to come off.
 
tgregg said:
Thanks, it sure would make the job easier if the P/S pump didn't have to come out. Some directions say to leave the engine fan and shroud on and some say take it off. So far I have the shroud loose so I can just move it out of the way and it doesn't look like the fan needs to come off but there is a tube coming out of the water pump on the passenger side top running up and back along the valve cover. I haven't tried dealing with that yet.
Click to expand...

If you mean that piece of pipe coming out of the waterpump you will most likely need to take that off to use on your new one. At least mine did not come with it (although I heard some do).
 
Mine didn't come with the pipe either!

Make sure to put it on BEFORE you mount the pump. Some of the pipes have a curve in them (later model XJ's, post-renix........I believe the renix pipes were straight.)

Otherwise you won't be able to get it on after the pump is on.
 
Blaine B. said:
Mine didn't come with the pipe either!

Make sure to put it on BEFORE you mount the pump. Some of the pipes have a curve in them (later model XJ's, post-renix........I believe the renix pipes were straight.)

Otherwise you won't be able to get it on after the pump is on.
Click to expand...

Yes. Just pay attention to the approximate angle it sits on the old pump, clamp the new pump in a vise, permatex the threads and install it at the same angle on the new pump.

And you don't have to take the P/S pump or brackets off. At least not on a '91-'94. Take both the electric fan and mechanical fan shroud loose. Unplug and remove the electric one, push the mechanical shroud out of the way. I replaced my radiator at the same time, so I had all kinds of room in there. It would make it easier if you removed the mechanical fan and shroud completely, you'd have tons of room to maneuver.
 
Not a bad job at all, did mine last weekend in about an hour.

I did mine as follows:
remove fan
remove pump pulley
remove belt
remove lower rad hose from pump
remove idler pulley
remove t stat housing
remove pump bolts and the two from the PS bracket

removing the idler on my renix allowed me to slide the pump over to the left and out from behind the PS pump so I left it in place to save time. No tube on mine either so I recycled, I pipe wrenched it back on there with some black permatex on the threads to seal it.
 
On my 95 it looks like pulling the idler pulley is going to be the key also. That heater pipe is really dumb! On mine the whole thing needs to turn rather than the nut crimping down on the pipe. So yes the pipe needs to be installed with the pump out!
I've got the old pump out but now that I've done that I'm going to replace both hoses and clamps so it is off to the parts store I go, I go. After all this I sure hope the pump is were my antifreeze leak was coming from :=}
 
after all that work on mine I think the leak was from a faulty hose clamp on the pump outlet, lol.

but my rig runs a lot cooler so what the hell. Honestly it's not a bad job considering this thing fights me tooth and nail for every little inch of progress I make on most projects
 
I don't want to raise an unnecessary point - but I remember from other forum posts and tech tips that it's really important to make sure - if you're replacing the water pump - that the new one has pump-fan blades which rotate the correct way. Depending on the serp belt route, I think that for models of ?1991 and later the pump blades have to have an "R" (for reverse rotation) stamped on them.

The catch is that all XJ pump housings are essentially the same shape and mounting... so it's not always obvious, unless you check, that you are getting the correct one for the way the belt will turn your pump.

I'm sure others will be able to add to, or correct, this advice.

br1anstorm
 
I love NAXJA.. So much help. It looks as if I will need to either take off the idler pulley or the P/S bracket to re-install the new pump. Since I have most of the P/S bracket unbolted I think I will just take it off. On my 95 the heater outlet tube prevents sliding the pump in behind the P/S bracket. I'm writing this out mostly for those who will read this doing their pump replacement.
 
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