Hello all. During the inspection the dealer does with an oil change a few months back, they said the water pump was leaking out of the weep hole. I don't drive this too often but just recently started noticing a drop of coolant on the ground in my garage so I better replace it. Looking up some of the videos, it seems simple enough but just wanted to ask if I should replace anything else while I have this apart. After draining this coolant, should I flush it? Is it enough to just keep draining and filling and running the engine until it is clear, or is one of those flush kits recommended? I suppose I should replace the thermostat while it is off and the fan belt as well. Anything else I should replace? There are 139,000 miles on it and I don't think the system was flushed before when I had it in at around 100,000 miles because the shop said it looked fine. Also, do I need a gasket sealer when replacing the pump or are the gaskets enough on their own? Thanks.
2000 Tahoe Water Pump Replacement
- Thread starter dman76
- Start date
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Z28TWITCH
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- Sep 18, 2013
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If the hoses arent spongy Ide leave em alone...definitely get a new thermostat...buy a good one, seen lots of issues arise because somebody wanted to save $4...as far as coolant goes, pull the petcock on the radiator, drain it all the way out, do the water pump job, fill with 50/50 when all done...will have replaced Ide say at least 70% of the system, good enough for me. Gasket sealer isnt needed, the new gaskets have O-rings pressed into them...if the new pump doesnt come with new gaskets for some reason..make sure you get some. Good luck.
The only B**** of the job is getting the fan clutch nut off to remove the fan clutch and fan. It makes for an easy removal of the water pump once you remove it though. I ended up having to heat the clutch nut with a torch and using an adjustable wrench and a BFH. You may or may not have an issue with it though.
Yeah....the big nut is difficult to break loose.
If your current water pump has four 10mm bolts securing the pulley onto the pump, you can fabricate a tool to hold those nuts (so the pulley doesn't spin) while you attempt to break loose the big fan nut.......another thing you can do is drive the truck to your nearest auto shop and have them remove the fan for you. There is a special tool used in conjunction with an air compressor and "air hammer" (which every shop has now-a-days).
As for the thermostat.......I use Motorad "FailSafe Thermostats. They are designed to stay open if/when the engine overheats.
If your current water pump has four 10mm bolts securing the pulley onto the pump, you can fabricate a tool to hold those nuts (so the pulley doesn't spin) while you attempt to break loose the big fan nut.......another thing you can do is drive the truck to your nearest auto shop and have them remove the fan for you. There is a special tool used in conjunction with an air compressor and "air hammer" (which every shop has now-a-days).
As for the thermostat.......I use Motorad "FailSafe Thermostats. They are designed to stay open if/when the engine overheats.
ScottyBoy
Full Access Member
I just flushed mine with a water hose until the coolant was all out and the water ran clear. I did this BEFORE removing the pump, with the engine up to temp and the heater on high. Then when I actually removed the pump, I used the hose to flush yet again the heater hoses, and the water jackets in the block. They ended up still having some old coolant still in there and I flushed it right out. I also replaced my thermostat and the belts while I was at it. If your belts are fairly new, just give them a good scrubbing with a stiff scrub brush and some All Purpose Cleaner and hose them off, basically clean them just like you would clean your tires. And just make sure they are COMPLETELY dry before you put them back on.
A tip for the clutch fan nut..
A.) Place a large crescent wrench onto the nut and grab yourself a large rubber mallet or hammer and give it a wack (TOWARD THE PASSENGER SIDE)
B.) If A doesn't get the job donw - saturate the nut with water let it sit for 1 hour. Repeat step A
A.) Place a large crescent wrench onto the nut and grab yourself a large rubber mallet or hammer and give it a wack (TOWARD THE PASSENGER SIDE)
B.) If A doesn't get the job donw - saturate the nut with water let it sit for 1 hour. Repeat step A
ScottyBoy
Full Access Member
^^^What he said.
I used a big ass pair of vise-grips on mine, and whacked it with a hammer a few times until it started moving. I've also seen a few videos where they hit it with an air chisel and that loosened it right up VERY easily. I don't have air tools, so a BFH was the next best option. But I don't have to mess with that anymore since I have upgraded to electric fans now.
I used a big ass pair of vise-grips on mine, and whacked it with a hammer a few times until it started moving. I've also seen a few videos where they hit it with an air chisel and that loosened it right up VERY easily. I don't have air tools, so a BFH was the next best option. But I don't have to mess with that anymore since I have upgraded to electric fans now.
ScottyBoy
Full Access Member
Yeah, pretty much. I used my garden hose to keep filling and flushing it until it all ran out clean. I drained it and flushed it really good then I refilled it and got it up to temp so that the thermostat would open, then I flushed it again.
