First dive under the hood. thermostat, water pump, oil

[cjm1219]

Got a late start today and am working in the heat. Taking my time and taking frequent A/C breaks, on one now

Got everything removed and the new water pipe installed so far. Old one looked to still be in good shape and didn't crack while removing.

Water pump took some work to get out and the impeller was cracked and missing some small pieces.

Thermostat was stuck open.

Alternator was a pain. Not looking forward to installing it.

Going to eat some food and then see how much I can get back together before dark. Then wrap it up tomorrow.

This site has been a great asset and I have been referring to it all day.

Thanks!

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by cjm1219

Got a late start today and am working in the heat. Taking my time and taking frequent A/C breaks, on one now

Got everything removed and the new water pipe installed so far. Old one looked to still be in good shape and didn't crack while removing.

Water pump took some work to get out and the impeller was cracked and missing some small pieces.

Thermostat was stuck open.

Alternator was a pain. Not looking forward to installing it.

Going to eat some food and then see how much I can get back together before dark. Then wrap it up tomorrow.

This site has been a great asset and I have been referring to it all day.

Thanks!

Awesome man! How did you end up getting the water pump out? Did you try using the extraction holes? They usually crumble the water pump housing, that's why I recommended the big ass pair of channel locks and rotating it side to side etc. How about the octopus fitting? Did removing the alternator and oil filter housing give you enough room to get your hands in there?

[cjm1219]

Originally Posted by cooljess76

Awesome man! How did you end up getting the water pump out? Did you try using the extraction holes? They usually crumble the water pump housing, that's why I recommended the big ass pair of channel locks and rotating it side to side etc. How about the octopus fitting? Did removing the alternator and oil filter housing give you enough room to get your hands in there?

Water pump came out with large vise grips and me yanking it side to side, up and down. Took a bit and then it popped out. Extraction holes just cracked the housing as expected.

Octopus fitting wasn't too bad once I got the alternator(PITA) off and filter housing. getting to the hose clamps was a bit tricky as they all seemed to be rotated away from me. Had to feel around and figure it out blind.

I am about to finish it up. Only have to put the belts back on, radiator hoses, radiator, fan and fill with oil and coolant. Then the bleeding begins.

[cjm1219]

Spent some time and cleaned up the motor a bit


Thermostat stuck open. As suspected.


Piece fell off when I touched it and there is hairline cracks on the other sections. Not sure if damage came from the extraction or if it was cracked before. Either way, glad it is replaced


Plastic "octopus" was in good shape. I wonder if it is original or not. No records of it being replaced other than cooling system service, which I wouldn't think would replace that.


All buttoned up and running great.

Gets up to temperature quickly and is running very smoothly. I am hoping it will get a few more miles to the tank now.

The whole job wasn't really hard at all. Just followed directions and studied what I had to do. Everything came apart and went back together like it was suppose to. Some force was needed with the water pump and the alternator but other than that it was just turning wrenches.

One concern I did run into was once I filled it up with coolant I had a leak from the thermostat housing. I snugged it down a little more but it was still seeping. Once I ran the car for a few minutes it stopped. I guess the gasket needed to warm up to seal properly.

[zoner]

Originally Posted by cjm1219

One concern I did run into was once I filled it up with coolant I had a leak from the thermostat housing. I snugged it down a little more but it was still seeping. Once I ran the car for a few minutes it stopped. I guess the gasket needed to warm up to seal properly.

My M42 did the same thing when I replaced the water pump- o-ring seeped for a few days after install then stopped and I never had another problem with it. It's not a bad idea to put a thin coat of silicone grease on the o-rings before installing.

While you had it apart, did you happen to notice if the hydraulic tensioner for the drive belt was worn or frozen? That's a part that tends to go over time as well. Easiest way to tell visually if it is bad is that the mounting holes start to elongate and/or the plastic bushing is cracked or broken.

[cjm1219]

Originally Posted by zoner

My M42 did the same thing when I replaced the water pump- o-ring seeped for a few days after install then stopped and I never had another problem with it. It's not a bad idea to put a thin coat of silicone grease on the o-rings before installing.

While you had it apart, did you happen to notice if the hydraulic tensioner for the drive belt was worn or frozen? That's a part that tends to go over time as well. Easiest way to tell visually if it is bad is that the mounting holes start to elongate and/or the plastic bushing is cracked or broken.

Nope, hydraulic tensioner seemed to be fine. Springs back and whatnot.

[zoner]

Originally Posted by cjm1219

Nope, hydraulic tensioner seemed to be fine. Springs back and whatnot.

[cooljess76]

Awesome work man! That's what I like to see, wish more people would do the job right and help keep these cars on the road. Drive it around for a few days and note that the heater blows hot air. If you notice the heater not blowing as hot as it should, air has probably worked it's way into the radiator and the cooling system will need to be re-bled. It happens, sometimes it's hard to get all of the air out on the first try. If you need help bleeding the system, shoot me a PM and I'll talk you through it over the phone. Congrats on a job well done!

[nc318tigurl]

Originally Posted by Mopho

This is the best advise you can get. I totally agree with cooljess on this plan.
The fitting on the side of the block is VERY important, due to the plastic IS deteriated and I don't care how well the vehicle was maintained, they ALL need replacement after 100K. Radiator hoses are also a must. Make sure the lower radiator hose is on correctly, mine was replaced by a squid that put it on backwards (L shaped hose) and caused mine to rub, thus blowing all the coolant out when it popped, causing a blown head gasket.
You did not mention how many miles are on your car, for the cost of these extra parts it's the best insurance.
And as mentioned before a few times, make sure you burp out all the air. I did mine one time (after changing the water pump) by using my steep driveway, then doing it over and over again as the directions given here.
Good luck and happy motoring when you are done.
And run synthetic oil, of course. Wix filters are better made than most others, check it out on u-tube. Frams, like I have used for years (until I saw what they looked like cut open) are not really one of the better filters.

I have subscribed to this thread!