Attempting Timing Belt / Water Pump Replacement - Tips/Advice.

[Subix]

Originally Posted by svxfiles

How many waterpump bolts did you remove?
All six, or all seven!

I can touch every hole haha.... but it doesn't budge.
Sooo.. the top bracket doesn't need to be removed then...?

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by Subix

I can touch every hole haha.... but it doesn't budge.
Sooo.. the top bracket doesn't need to be removed then...?

The water pump can be removed after you remove the six long bolts, and the one short bolt, that connects the water pump bypass hose bracket.
They all have a 10mm head.

[Subix]

So after a few days and for whatever reason I decided to attack it again this morning. (The Water Pump, that is). I decided to tap it ajar lightly with a hammer... and wallah! It is free!

Pics to follow of the new (clean) water pump and the old (2 1/2 years) water pump that had came with the timing belt kit on eBay. (to my knowledge, All We'll Drive installed it) so I'm guessing it was the package shipped to their place and installed there.

I do notice a difference however. The OEM water pump I just got has thinner lines to allow more to flow through (at least, that would be my assumption) and the aftermarket one is thicker. The aftermarket water pump also has a weight distribution issue. I can only imagine that sort of speeds and this water pump wobbling at a very fast pace how much an impact or stress it could have on a belt over time. (which may very well have contributed to why mine broke only a mere 30k or so into it being changed) It's as if the thing is not balanced properly but that's just how it was molded or whatever, generic ****. It does move freely however....

I'm not sure what to do with it though... the old water pump. Guess I should just toss it? Ideas?

While there aren't any tears or rips, removing the 2 lines to the water pump sounded crunchy. Add another $24 for hoses and clamps. (which I'm positive weren't replaced when the water pump was done years ago as the kit didn't include the hoses...)









Lastly, before I even started... I noticed this bolt lying under the car... does anyone recognize it and have any idea where it goes? Doesn't seem like something that would be easy to remove by the front or sides... and I have no idea where it came from. Any ideas would be appreciated. Car is possessed and dis-assembling itself while I sleep!

[svxfiles]

That bolt is the power steering/alternator idler bolt.

[Subix]

Originally Posted by svxfiles

That bolt is the power steering/alternator idler bolt.

Wow... I feel ignorant haha... I guess in my haste of ripping it all apart I thought I had the bolt that went behind the bracket but apparently that's something else. . Thanks.

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by Subix

Wow... I feel ignorant haha... I guess in my haste of ripping it all apart I thought I had the bolt that went behind the bracket but apparently that's something else. . Thanks.

If your PS/ALT idler pully is still attached to the bracket it could be one that fell the last time someone removed it.

[Uncamitzi]

Ok...thanks for this.. My car overheated yesterday badly.. I had noticed a small trickle of coolant and assumed it was the lower radiator hose... I think I was wrong.. Yesterday the car overheated very quickly on the drive home.. after reading this.. I'm going to replace waterpump... and pray to the SVX gods (who have been pretty kindly to me so far) that it's not the HG.

Wish me luck and I'll try to post pictures of the aftermath....


sure wish I was back in WV

could use svxfile's mojo right about now

[Austin]

I haven't been on here in a while... basically since not too long after I got my SVX back in September. Coincidentally, this is precisely what I'm facing now, Clint. Reading all this tells me it's a little more involved than replacing a water pump on an XT6, so I think I'm going to get a quote on having a shop do it.

I hate the thought of the cost, but I'd rather not have to go through all this. Plus at 47 years old, I'm not as eager to get under the car and pull wrenches anymore. Glad I've still got a little bit more overtime yet to work.

Great photos, by the way!

[Subix]

Needless to say I ran out of time to work on this car before winter hit hard and waiting for parts to arrive in a timely fashion. My other Subaru transmission decided to completely die on me and will be finding its way to the junkyard or some other deathbed.

I got halfway through the process and the quote to put everything back to working again was almost $300.... sick but ultimately worth it I guess since I don't want to deal with it and have no garage to work on it in. Car-X was giving me ****, talking down to me and quoted me $400 and then some. I went elsewhere and got a better price.

It goes in Tuesday, hopefully everything will turn out 'ok'.

(crosses fingers)

[jeffs92svx]

The shop charged me $200 to do mine. Well worth it imo. I bought the parts.

[Austin]

spoke w/ the Mrs. about this and the current financial picture dictates that I need to continue to drive my XT6 until the end of January, if I want someone else to do it.

I wish it were sooner but I can handle that.

[Subix]

It feels so good to have my car back... especially after all this time.

$325 labor for the water pump, timing belt, power steering pump hose... and in record time. I dropped it off around 4:30pm and it was ready by noon the next day.

I'm just so very thankful there wasn't anything wrong with it otherwise... brakes in the rear now showing more severe signs of needing replaced. but... It's alive again!

[Austin]

FINALLY ordered my timing belt kit on eBay.

It was $300 but included pulleys and the water pump.

So in a couple o' days I should have it running strong and then I'll drive it to the DMV to transfer the tag and pay the taxes - ~$175 but worth it.

Washed and waxed every square inch of the car the other day. Yep, I'm ready to get it on the road!

[clarkerussell]

Originally Posted by Austin

FINALLY ordered my timing belt kit on eBay.

It was $300 but included pulleys and the water pump.

So in a couple o' days I should have it running strong and then I'll drive it to the DMV to transfer the tag and pay the taxes - ~$175 but worth it.

Washed and waxed every square inch of the car the other day. Yep, I'm ready to get it on the road!

That is the same kit I bought 2 yearsago, and I'm just now getting around to installing it. Hopefully these are quality pieces. After taking the time to tear it apart the front of the car, I think I would have gone OEM... I think it's at least 2x the price, but I DO NOT want to do this again...

[kwren]

Originally Posted by Cam

You do not need anything to seal the waterpump besides the seals. Get a new thermostat though. And use thread lock on the bolts. As far as the a/c pump, iust remove it. purge it first using the relief valve on the driver side. Do this otside and do not lay on the ground for at least 30 minutes after to avoid passing out and getting freon poisoning.

There isn't any such thing as "freon poisoning" And... Let your a/c pump stay right where it is!

Keith