How to Replace a Water Pump: Removal and Installation

The water pump is one of the most important parts of your car’s cooling system. When the vehicle is running, the water pump turns, forcing coolant to flow through the engine and radiator. Without the water pump, your car would quickly overheat.

Of course, like all auto parts, the water pump can eventually fail. The pump may start to leak, its bearings may go bad, or its impeller may wear away from corrosion. Any of these scenarios will require a water pump replacement.

Water Pump Replacement How-To

There are many different water pump designs in use today. Some water pumps are driven off the engine’s drive belt, while others are driven off the timing belt or timing chain. Some vehicles even use a standalone electric water pump.

So, before you replace the water pump, it’s important to consult the instructions for your application in a repair manual or repair database. The information below is a general overview of what’s typically involved with replacing a belt-driven water pump.

Tools and Equipment Needed to Replace a Water Pump

The tools needed to replace a water pump will vary, depending on the type of car you have.
In general, however, you’ll need:

• 50/50 pre-mixed coolant (consult your owner’s manual to determine the correct type of coolant for your vehicle)
• Air compressor (recommended)
• Brake cleaner
• Cooling system vacuum fill tool (recommended)
• Dead blow hammer
• Fluid catch pan
• Fluid container
• Jack and jack stands
• Plastic gasket scraper or plastic razor blade
• Screwdrivers
• Ratchet and socket set
• Repair manual or access to a repair database
• Safety glasses
• Shop rags
• Torque wrench
• Wheel chocks
• Wrench set

Water Pump Car Replacement Instructions

Replacing a water pump is usually a fairly straightforward task. The following steps will give you an idea of what the job usually involves.

Note: The following are general guidelines for educational and entertainment purposes only. Consult your vehicle’s factory information for specific repair instructions and recommended safety procedures.

Water Pump Removal:

1. Put on your safety glasses.
   
   
2. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
   
   
3. Make sure the engine is off and has cooled.
   
   Warning: Hot coolant can cause severe personal injury. Make sure the engine is cool before proceeding.
   
   
4. Safely raise and support the vehicle using a jack and jack stands. Set the parking brake and chock the rear wheels.
   
   
5. Place a fluid catch pan under the vehicle.
   
   
6. Remove the radiator cap.
   
   
7. Drain the old coolant. You can do this by either disconnecting the lower radiator hose (recommended) or by opening the radiator drain petcock. Disconnecting the lower radiator hose is the safest route since petcocks can become brittle and break.
   
   
8. Use a ratchet or wrench to break loose the water pump pulley retaining bolts (do not remove the bolts at this time). If the pulley starts to spin, you can try putting some extra tension on the belt tensioner to hold it in place.
   
   
9. Remove the drive belt by rotating the automatic tensioner. Typically, this is done with either a serpentine belt tool or a long-handle wrench or ratchet.
   
   If your car has a manual drive belt tensioner (instead of an automatic tensioner), you’ll need to loosen the lock nut, then turn the adjuster screw.
   
   Note: Before you remove the drive belt, make sure you have access to the belt routing diagram (often found on a decal under the hood). If you do not have the diagram, take a photo of the way the belt is routed before removing it. That way, you’ll know how to reinstall it correctly.
   
   
10. Remove the water pump pulley bolts and the pulley itself.
    
    
11. Use a ratchet or wrench to remove the water pump mounting bolts.
    
    
12. Remove the water pump from the vehicle. If the water pump doesn’t come off easily, give it a couple of taps with a dead blow hammer to break it free.

Water Pump Installation:

1. Compare the new water pump to the old water pump to ensure that both are the same design.
   
   
2. Use a plastic gasket scraper (or a plastic razor blade) to remove all of the old gasket material from the engine. Then use brake cleaner and a clean rag to finish cleaning the water pump’s mating surface.
   
   
3. Mount the new gasket or seal in place on the water pump.
   
   
4. Install the water pump and gasket. Then use a torque wrench to tighten the water pump mounting bolts to the manufacturer’s specification.
   
   
5. Install the water pump pulley. Then install the pulley retaining bolts by hand (do not tighten the bolts down at this time).
   
   
6. Reinstall the drive belt.
   
   
7. Use a torque wrench to tighten the pulley retaining bolts to the manufacturer’s specification.
   
   
8. Safely remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle.
   
   
9. Follow the instructions that come with the cooling system vacuum fill tool to connect the tool to your air compressor. The tool bleeds the cooling system of air while simultaneously refilling the coolant.
   
   
10. Follow the instructions that come with the tool to refill the cooling system with a 50/50 mix of fresh coolant.
    
    
11. If you do not have access to an air compressor and vacuum fill tool, consult a repair manual or repair database for the cooling system bleeding instructions for your vehicle.
    
    Warning: If you do not properly bleed the air from the cooling system, overheating and engine damage may result.
    
    
12. Top off the coolant as needed and reinstall the radiator cap.
    
    
13. Reconnect the negative battery cable.
    
    
14. Make sure the vehicle doesn’t overheat by starting the engine and monitoring the temperature gauge. Do this until the engine reaches operating temperature, and the electric cooling fan (if equipped) kicks in.
    
    
15. Pour the old coolant from the catch pan into a large fluid container.
    
    
16. Make sure to clean up any fluid spills with a rag. Coolant is deadly if consumed, and animals are attracted to it.
    
    
17. Check online to find out where you can recycle your old coolant (pouring it down the drain is illegal). Usually, you can get rid of it at a landfill that accepts hazardous waste.
    
    
18. After driving the vehicle for a day or two, re-check the coolant level and top off as needed.

Here is a helpful video that demonstrates what a water pump replacement typically involves:

Find a New Water Pump For Your Car

Until you can replace your car’s faulty water pump, just leave it at home and don’t drive it. Driving with a bad pump can lead to issues like the engine overheating, which could lead to even more complicated engine problems down the line. Luckily, finding a replacement water pump that fits your car is easy at CarParts.com.

CarParts.com is your one-stop shop for high-quality replacement parts like water pumps. Plug your car’s details into our website’s built-in vehicle selector and you’ll see our products that meet your requirements. After finding the part that will fit your car and your budget, you only have to tap your phone’s screen a few times to place your order. If you live in the continental US and order before noon ET, you can get your new water pump in as quickly as two business days.

For competitively priced and reliable water pumps, look no further than CarParts.com. Check out our array of water pumps and get the most bang for your buck when you order one today.