Hello,Im new to this forum and also new to working on subaru's

Can anyone tell me the best way to take off the water pump pulley?

Any advice would be great

Thanks

Welcome to the USMB.

 

Lots of good folks here and a handy search function to find info already here.

 

 

The "water pump pulley" is part of the water pump - you need to remove the whole assembly.

 

What are you trying to do?

 

Fix a leak?

 

Do timing belt service?

stop now and find somone who knows valves are exspensive

Welcome to the forum!

The water pump pulley is not removable. There is no reason to remove the pulley. If the pump fails it gets replaced.

Why are you trying to remove the pulley?

I wanted to remove it because it seems to have worked its way towards the motor therfore grinding against the plastic cover on the outside .The alt belt finally got off the grooves and was worn away baddly.

I thought maybe it was a bearing that had worn away and thats why it started makin its way towards the motor.I was hoping that it was just a bearing that needed to be replaced and i could just replace that.

Any ideas ?

I wanted to remove it because it seems to have worked its way towards the motor therfore grinding against the plastic cover on the outside .The alt belt finally got off the grooves and was worn away baddly.

I thought maybe it was a bearing that had worn away and thats why it started makin its way towards the motor.I was hoping that it was just a bearing that needed to be replaced and i could just replace that.

Any ideas ?

 

 

hmmm....seems to me this is an accessory belt issue and you 'may' be looking at the tensioner or other item driven by an accessory belt - not timing belt(which drives the water pump).

 

Also, is this car a 3.0 H6? The serpentine belt runs across 2 pulleys that are known problems. Tensioner pulley and idler pulley. There's 1 or 2 threads devoted to that problem.

Edited February 17, 201214 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

I'm afraid it may be sounding like a screwed up crank/keyway/harmonic balancer problem from the last person who had balancer off and didn't get it tight.

 

We need to know year, and engine size, miles, maintenance history(and by whom - timing belts and stuff).

 

Edit: I see '03 - Can you confirm 2.5 SOHC?

Edited February 17, 201214 yr by davebugs

Ok we have a pulley misidentification. Take a picture of the failing pulley and post it here.

It's not an H6, those have chains. So no plastic cover.

 

It sounds like the tensioner for the AC belt. The bearing goes bad and the tensioner starts chewing a hole in the plastic timing belt cover.

 

This is really bad, if it eats a hole it can jam up the timing belt which will ruin your engine.

I suggest immediately removing the belt for the AC before running the engine anymore.

 

Your car has two fan belts, if you want to call them that. One runs the alternator and power steering, one runs the AC. The one that runs the AC has a tensioner, which I think is the one you're calling the water pump pulley.

It's not an H6, those have chains. So no plastic cover.

tensioner starts chewing a hole in the

It sounds like the tensioner for the AC belt. The bearing goes bad and the plastic timing belt cover.

 

This is really bad, if it eats a hole it can jam up the timing belt which will ruin your engine.

I suggest immediately removing the belt for the AC before running the engine anymore.

 

Your car has two fan belts, if you want to call them that. One runs the alternator and power steering, one runs the AC. The one that runs the AC has a tensioner, which I think is the one you're calling the water pump pulley.

 

This makes sense to me and yes it did chew a hole in the plastic cover.

So how do i get the tensioner off ? Is it that nut on the center of the tensioner? I want to get it off so i can see what kind of damage there is or replace the bearing

This makes sense to me and yes it did chew a hole in the plastic cover.

So how do i get the tensioner off ? Is it that nut on the center of the tensioner? I want to get it off so i can see what kind of damage there is or replace the bearing

 

Yep, loosen the nut in the middle of the tensioner. Don't take it all the way off, just loosen it. Then there should be a threaded rod that goes straight up. This is the tensioner system. Just loosen it until it's loose enough to get the belt off.

Pretty sure it's all 12mm heads.

 

If for some reason you can't loosen that (like it's frozen up), the tensioner bracket is held onto the AC pump bracket by two bolts. Again, pretty sure 12mm head. Take those out and the whole tensioner will come off.

If the long bolt is frozen up it'll be easier to loosen it on the bench.

Or possibly just replace the whole tensioner assy.

Yep, loosen the nut in the middle of the tensioner. Don't take it all the way off, just loosen it. Then there should be a threaded rod that goes straight up. This is the tensioner system. Just loosen it until it's loose enough to get the belt off.

Pretty sure it's all 12mm heads.

 

If for some reason you can't loosen that (like it's frozen up), the tensioner bracket is held onto the AC pump bracket by two bolts. Again, pretty sure 12mm head. Take those out and the whole tensioner will come off.

If the long bolt is frozen up it'll be easier to loosen it on the bench.

Or possibly just replace the whole tensioner assy.

 

I think we might be talking about the wrong pulley(my falt) It is the largest pulley out of the 3 and it is the one directly under the alternator and to the left of the smaller tensioner pulley.

I ll see if i can get a pic of it

That would be the crankshaft pulley.

This is a dangerous problem, though the initial damage has already been done, the pulley can become a projectile if it works it's way off of the crankshaft.

 

The crankshaft pulley, also known as a harmonic balancer, is made up of two sections joined by a band of rubber between them. The rubber can deteriorate and cause the outer section to separate and wobble off of the inner section which is bolted to the crankshaft.

Another common issue is after a timing belt change the bolt does not get tightened properly, and after some time it works it's way loose, which allows the whole pulley to wobble around on the end of the shaft.

See post #7.

 

OP needs to post a pic he takes or find another pic and describe from that pic exactly where his problem(s) are.

 

Until then we can't be much more help.

That one.

 

Here is the result of a loose bolt. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=121676&highlight=Pulley

 

Here is a separated balancer. This is the failure of the rubber between the two sections of the pulley. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/1998-2-5l-harmonic-balancer-crank-pulley-failure-pics-162882.html

There are a few pics of a ruined harmonic balancer and oil pump in my album here.

 

FOrgot to take pics of the crank end.

That one.

 

Here is the result of a loose bolt. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=121676&highlight=Pulley

 

Here is a separated balancer. This is the failure of the rubber between the two sections of the pulley. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/1998-2-5l-harmonic-balancer-crank-pulley-failure-pics-162882.html

 

Yes the second link describes the same problem i have.

Im gonna remove the crank pulley and see what i got.

Hopefully there not any damage to the inside t belt assemby.

Thanks for the help,Ill let you how i made out

Ok now im trying to get the harmonic balancer off.The problem is that when i try to back the nut off the balancer it wants to spin.Anyone have an idea how i can get it from wanting to spin.?

thanks

You have several choices:

 

1. Jam something in the ring gear at the back of the engine (flywheel or torque converter) - a punch or strong screwdriver, etc. I don't use this method. Tends to be frustrating and break tools.

 

2. Thread rope into the #1 cylinder on the compression stroke (all valves closed) and then tun the engine over till the piston jams against the head.

 

3. Use hysteresis. An object at rest tends to stay that way. IE - an impact wrench (I have an IR right-angle impact just for this), or a hefty ratchet handle and a 4 lb drilling hammer, etc.

 

For my money and time - the 4 lb drilling hammer, hefty ratchet handle, 22mm socket, and hysteresis is the quickest method if you don't have air and impacts.

 

Usually the balancer chewing into the timing cover is because the cover is soaked with oil from front main seal leaks and has swelled - bulging out at the bottom and contacting the balancer. Or it was improperly installed and is wobbling, etc.

 

GD

Edited February 19, 201214 yr by GeneralDisorder

To get it loose I have a snapon breaker bar that'll reach over to by the battery and jsut bump the starter.

 

However it's REAL important to get that bold tight on reassembly so yoi're still gonne need to do that.

To get it loose I have a snapon breaker bar that'll reach over to by the battery and jsut bump the starter.

 

However it's REAL important to get that bold tight on reassembly so yoi're still gonne need to do that.

 

Your idea worked great...I got the center bolt off.....now im trying to get the balancer to slide off.Shouldn't it just slide right off ? It seems to be on there pretty good .It might be lodged in the plastic cover a little.

Any thoughts ?

The balancer often takes a bit of wiggling and swearing to get it off.

You can probably get it to rock side do side, do that while pulling.

Application of penetrant usually helps also. They end up fretted in place - almost always.

 

GD

Alright i finally got the balancer off...it did take a lot of wigglin and swearing.Now

im shopping for a new one,I found one for about 70 bucks.I guess i should replace the plastic cover while im at it.Anyone know where i can find one of those? Im also curious as to why that balancer failed in the first place..I just want to make sure it doesnt happen again.

The balancer didn't fail. The previous mechanic failed.

This happens because the bolt wasn't tight enough.