Engine Assembly: Water Pump

I noticed a small problem with my oil pan: the threads were pretty much gone from the drain plug hole. I do not want to risk it opening during driving so I'll have to fix it before installing the pan. Perhaps by welding a nut to the inside of the pan.

I let the pan wait and installed the water pump in stead. It had a small problem too. I had opened the back plate to inspect the insides but it seemed that the gasket there was not included in any of my kits. Neither is it included in my friends "complete engine gasket set" so I had to visit the parts store to get it. Just remember to get it separately if you plan to open the pump...

To seal the back plate to my cast iron pump, I spread some Hylomar on the gasket surface...

...placed the gasget on it and added more Hylomar to the other side...

...and installed the back plate. To make sure it was located correctly and to give the sealer time to dry, I added a bunch of bolts and tightened them to squeeze the gasket in.

After letting the back plate settle, I removed the bolts and installed the rear gasket. It had to only seal the water passages so I added Hylomar around them and set the gasket on it.

Finally I placed the pump on the front cover and located it with the bolts. I used new locking washers on all and torqued them to 15 ft-lbs. Pump installation done!

Disassembling The Engine Part 1

With the course laid in, it was time to tear down the engine. First I drained the coolant and removed the radiator. This gave me enough room to get the fan out. Then I disconnected the alternator wires, unbolted it and lifted it out. Now I could get to the water pump and remove it.

The harmonic balancer was a bit more tricky to get out. I removed the three bolts that hold the pulley to the damper and then had to get the large crank bolt out. It is so tight that you need to prevent the engine from turning. I did that by adding two of the flywheel bolts to the back of the crank, placed my jack handle between them and turned the engine until the handle touched the exhaust. Now the crank would not turn and I could get the bolt out.

Finally I needed a puller to get the damper out. My friend had one so I borrowed it. He had made it by welding two pieces of iron together and drilling four holes to it. Simple but effective and I soon had the balancer out.

DIY harmonic balancer puller

Now the road was clear for the timing chain cover. I unbolted the fuel pump from it and then removed the cover itself.

The timing chain itself can be pulled out by just removing the fuel pump eccentric and then wiggling the gears until they come free. The chain had quite a lot of play so it's definitely time to replace it.

Before continuing to drop the crank, I removed the oil pump and then cleaned the parts a bit to see what new stuff I needed. Luckily most were in pretty good condition. The chain cover was almost like new. No rust, just a lot of dirt. I'll clean it, paint it and put it back.

The water pump was also really good. So good that I suspect that it has been replaced at some point. No rust inside or out and no play in the shaft. No need to replace it either.

Finally I checked the damper and again found nothing wrong with it. The rubber seemed good so it can be reused after some more cleaning.

So only the oil pump, timing chain and bearings need to be replaced. Unless I find more surprises...

Old and new oil pumps

New Federal Mogul timing chain