Replacing water pump, any tips?

[Dog]

Anyone replaced theirs? My '03 Rio had a cooling issue pop up and although I think it was just my radiator dying on me and leaking, I figured that since I'll have to drain the system and remove the stuff in the way I might as well replace all the other cooling stuff too. I have a new rad, hoses, pump, t-stat, and temp sender coming from Rockauto. I got the Gates branded reman'd pump.

One question I had was whether you guys use sealant on the gasket? I have developed a habit of using it from my days of working on old domestic V8 water pumps but this pump supposedly comes with a gasket that doesn't need sealant, so now I'm afraid putting some on there might actually make it leak. Just curious what you guys have been doing?

btw, I got my new rad for $39, it was on close-out from a wholesaler!

The really fun part in this situation is that the cooling system was only half of what went wrong in the space of 30 minutes! My hood started puffing wisps of white smoke which made me go and I cranked the heat to max and headed for home. On the way....I braked for a corner and got a ka-clunk sound from my rear drums along with a hard pulse in the pedal. Now my right-rear brake was stuck on! I had to drive home like that, thankfully the wheel would still turn. But by the time I got home I had white smoke pouring out both ends of the car, from the hood and from the rear wheel!

I would have just pulled over and stopped but I had no money for a tow. Luckily there was a shiny new credit card waiting for me in my mail box, which I had planned to use for school expenses but instead I've used half of my limit already just getting parts.

I went whole-hog on the rear brakes, I've never serviced them I'm ashamed to say, but never had any issues either until now. I figure that at 111k miles I might as well replace it all, bearings, drums, wheel cylinders, everything. Only thing I didn't get was new spindles. I already had a new set of OEM shoes so that saved a little money.

Oh, and I figured I'd do the timing set too since I'm doing the water pump, it was due anyway in 9k miles. I got the Dayco one.

lol, just realized how much I just wrote, sorry for being long-winded! In case my question got lost in all that text, I was Just curious if you guys use sealant on your pump and t-stat gaskets?

[Kevster]

Just allow yourself plenty of time. The hardest part isGetting tools into the narrow clearances between engine and body. Once you get the timing cover and water pump pulley off you have a bit more room but it is never fun. Then lining up the camshafts after all is done and you are installing the timing belt, is a whole string of cuss words. My cam timing marks sat a bit pigeon toed and I tried every way to sunday to line them up like the manual says, but they sit pigeon toed (you'll see when you get there...). An impact is pretty much a necessity for the crank bolt, and you'll need something to block up the motor when removing that motor mount on the upper end. Be careful as the oil pan is cast and can break if you use it to block up the motor. Just clean the water pump mating surfaces well and you won't need fancy sealers. I always use a permatex gasket stuff to hold my gaskets on while installing. Don't overtighten stuff...as this tiny little car is aluminum. I grew up on bigV8's and this little Rio ain't big iron. Go easy on the fasteners....
Good luck.....I can't think of any special tools you need as I did my 04 in the driveway with socket set and some combination wrenches. ('cept that impact wrench).

[Dog]

Originally Posted by Kevster

Just allow yourself plenty of time. The hardest part isGetting tools into the narrow clearances between engine and body. Once you get the timing cover and water pump pulley off you have a bit more room but it is never fun. Then lining up the camshafts after all is done and you are installing the timing belt, is a whole string of cuss words. My cam timing marks sat a bit pigeon toed and I tried every way to sunday to line them up like the manual says, but they sit pigeon toed (you'll see when you get there...). An impact is pretty much a necessity for the crank bolt, and you'll need something to block up the motor when removing that motor mount on the upper end. Be careful as the oil pan is cast and can break if you use it to block up the motor. Just clean the water pump mating surfaces well and you won't need fancy sealers. I always use a permatex gasket stuff to hold my gaskets on while installing. Don't overtighten stuff...as this tiny little car is aluminum. I grew up on bigV8's and this little Rio ain't big iron. Go easy on the fasteners....
Good luck.....I can't think of any special tools you need as I did my 04 in the driveway with socket set and some combination wrenches. ('cept that impact wrench).

Thanks Kevster! I'll give it a go without any sealant then, I guess the worst outcome is that I'll just have to do it again. What irks me is that you have to reassemble nearly everything else (timing set, engine mount, etc.) before you can run the engine just to see IF it's going to leak!

And yes, I've probably broken half a dozen bolts on my Rio, they are always seized and I'm too lazy to try using heat and all that stuff, I usually get pissed and force it then immediately regret it. But I always use anti-seize when they go back in.

[Dog]

Hey I just got my water pump and I notice it doesn't have a gasket for the water intlet tube, anyone have a part number for it? i.e. Felpro or the like?

I notice Rockauto has a category for it but they look identical to the t-stat gaskets so I'm not sure they're the right thing. I haven't taken anything apart yet so I don't know, does it actually use the same gasket as the t-stat housing?

--NEVERMIND!--
Of course after posting I immediately figured it out, they aren't identical, Autozone was listing them both under water pump gaskets, and that's what I was comparing the Rockauto ones to. The t-stat gasket is round, the inlet gasket has a squarish-shaped center. For anyone else who needs to know these are the Victor/Reinz part numbers:
T-Stat gasket: C20115
Inlet gasket: C32119

Those should cross-reference to other brands.