Im tackling the water pump Sunday......its been seeping a bit and it time to replace it......It looks fairly straight forward with the two bolts slide in slide out......two questions......what is the easy way to get the belt off and then back on?? I see where the pulley pivots to get it off but what is the secret to getting it back on.....
Question two.......how much and exactly how do I drain the coolant before un bolting the pump and sliding the new one in????? And.......I see the pump came with a thick rubber w/p gasket....do I need any silicone or anything?

Thanks in advance for any advice........looks pretty straight forward though.....glad its not a powerstroke........the pump was only 65 bucks and an hour of my time.......

Thanks

Scott

 

Did one on my 01,put vaseline on oring, no leaks. As far as belt goes nothing easy there, 1/2 in breaker bar laying underneath truck is the only way I found to get belt on and off. I also removed bars that hold fan shroud on. The belt is much easier with someone on top to guide you

hope that helps

 

Thanks...............does anyone know if I have to burp the system after I top it off with coolant? If so...what is the procedure there?

Scott

 

Yes, you will probably get an air bubble in there. Try this: When you're ready to refill with coolant, pull off the thermostat housing and take out the thermostat. Fill the radiator with coolant until it gets up to the thermostat opening, then put the thermostat back in and put the housing back on. Any bubbles you get above that level won't amount to much and should work their way out the first time you drive it far enough to open the thermostat. Keep an eye on the level in the reservoir for a while to be sure it's full.

 

Thanks..............got it all done.....took about an 30 minutes...the hardest part was getting the belt back on.....after I was done I drove it up to operating tempature......got up to 195 or so.......let it cool down for a few hours and took it out again......got back to about 195 or so........so I guess Im good to go...........did not have any issues and it was an easy fix.....I will keep an eye on the expansion tank for a while and add if neccesary...

Thanks Guys...

Scott