stock90 Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Hey, I just found out that my water pump is leaking coolant :-\ , It doesn't leak very badly and the coolant level doesn't drop fast enough to really notice. I was just wondering how easy it is to replace myself (my mechanic is quoting me around $350 ). from previuos threads it looks like buying just the pump would run me $65-$100. Is it worth the saved money to do it myself or should I just bite the bullet and shuck out the $350. Also, If I am to do it myself, is there anything I should be careful NOT to accidentally do or anything I should do at the same time. If I remember right the timing belt and oil pump were both already done (by the previous owner, who I think also did the water pump, so who knows how well they were done). Any advice is greatly appreciated. In 2 weeks I am moving about 1.5 hours away from my house for 8 weeks time, during which I need to be able to commute back and forth on the weekends so this has to be fixed by then. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Well - if you are close to being due for timing belts, then I say do it yourself, and do the front main seal, water pump, timing belts and tensioners all at the same time since you have to get in there anyway. Timing belts need replacement every 60k or so on the EA82, so if you are within 20k of that mark, I would just do all of it and be done with it for another 60k. If you don't run into anything really hairy, you should be able to do all of it in an afternoon if you are experienced mechanically at all. Also - you should enquire as to how much extra having your mechanic do all that would run. As I said all that stuff is right there, and there really isn't a lot more dissasembly involved in doing all of it at once. Maybe he will cut you a deal, although at $350 for a friggin water pump I think you should find a new mechanic anyway. I know places that will do axles cheaper than that, and if he's done it before it should only take 1.5 - 2 hours to complete. That's some expensive shop time if you ask me. Most dealerships are under $100 an hour.... GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmCeeBee Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Most of us join USMB with a question like this (speaking from experience here... ) You can use "search" to find a bunch of similar threads in the past 6 months. GD sums up the basic decision, follow his advice if you have reasonable mechanical abilities. I'd say it's about a 4 on a scale of 10 (where 1=oil change, 10=new pistons). I did this job last summer, took four or five evenings at 2-3 hours apiece -- and I work slow and methodical. Here's my three tips: 1) Know what jobs you plan to do (main seal, camshaft seals, oil pump seals, water pump, oil pan gasket, whatever), and have ALL parts on hand before you start. Make sure you put in a new O-ring on the water pump pipe, and a new inlet hose (3" elbow) going to the heater line. Replacing either of these later is a major headache. Check a Chilton's or Haynes for parts. 2) You can do it all without pulling the radiator, but it's worth the extra 2 hours to drain/remove it. With the radiator out, you have at least 10 inches of clearance at the front of the engine (more if you don't have an air conditioner/condenser). If you leave the radiator in, you have only 4 inches; so cover the inner surface with a sheet of cardboard to save your knuckles. 3) Cleaning/degreasing is at least half the job. Stock up on degreaser and rags, and plan on a few hours total. -- Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stock90 Posted June 2, 2004 Author Share Posted June 2, 2004 Thanks for the info. I had already looked at the other discussions, I was just wondering if there was anything else. I'm gonna see how things go. I'll let you know if I get myself into any trouble . thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stock90 Posted June 5, 2004 Author Share Posted June 5, 2004 Hey just dropped this job I thought would cost 350 down to 100 bucks. I bought a new pump (lifetime warranty) at NAPA for 30 bucks instead of the 85 the shop was gonna charge me for it (they gave me a deal cause I came in to get a refurbished one that they siad they had but didn't). I checked at another place for the installation costs and they siad it should run me around 80-90 bucks for the hour and a half to 2 hours it should take to install. Did I get a good deal on the pump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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