replaced waterpump

[kickflipjr]

So, I car has been leaking coolant like crazy recently. I determined that the leak is from the waterpump. I called around and was able to get a water pump for $24. So far I removed it. I will be putting in the new one later today.

It wasn't to bad. The only hard part was removing the pully. You have to remove 3 bolts on the pully and it likes to spin

[Matt Timion]

don't forget to put some sealant on there while you're replacing it. I am unsure if regular RTV silicon is good for that section, but I know i've seen "water pump sealer" at autozone before.

[kickflipjr]

I was surprised by how small it was(compare it to the size of his hand). Here is a picture I found on the net.

[onegammyleg]

Normally when a water pump leaks water it is from a small drilled hole underneath the bearing part of the pump housing.

This is a tell tale indicator , it tells when the seal to the bearing has failed.
Instead off letting presurised water from washing the grease out of the bearing and the pump failing fast they let it drip or leak from the hole instead.

Most water pumps get thrown away because of a failed seal.
In the old days some pumps could have the seal repaced , but now they usually press them all up as a non repairable unit.

A tip with pulley bolts is crack them loose with the belt still fitted, if it still wants to turn you can wedge a screwdriver handle between the belt and pully to make the belt tension tighter as you turn the nut to undo it.
Alternatively a strap type oil filter remover can be used on the pully to hold it still.

There are many types of silicones on the market claiming this and that , but their differences are minor and not worth paying a lot of money for.

[kickflipjr]

Well thats finished. I used regular RTV silicon (I think that will be ok, the guy at the auto parts store said it was).

I drove the aveo to school. I can drive 20mph in 5th without any problems with it. It has such short gearing.

[Compaq888]

25 is the lowest I can go in my civic. When I got the car it would bog and buckle under 32mph in 5th. I did a huge maintenance myself so now I can drive if I want 25mph with no problems. On the streets I usually shift into 5th at 27-28mph to keep the other cars happy.