[SOLVED] How to remove a stuck water pump

[alim_h]

In case this helps anyone:

Was trying to remove my water pump. Obviously the part of the pump that you need to thread in the bolts and push it out broke off right away.

I tried to pull, pry, hammer, and even drill it out with no luck. After a few hours I think I figured out what worked.

1. Get a good pair of vise grips, the ones that you can tighten with a hex key.
2. Clamp them on right behind the shaft that rotates, where the fan attaches.
3. Tighten the vise grips by hand.
3a. Tighten the vise grips with a hex key.
3b. Tighten the vise grips with a hex key and a breaker bar.
3c. Make sure they're grabbing on there really good.
4. Get a large breaker bar and slip it over the handle of the vise grips.
5. Rotate slowly (otherwise the vise grips will slip) to turn the pump clockwise and then counter-clockwise. That should break the calcium deposits that are holding the pump in place.
6. Carefully rotate and apply pressure to slide the pump out.

This will obviously destroy your pump. I also learned that you don't need to remove your pump to remove the lower timing cover, so I guess if your pump isn't bad, don't even bother removing it.

[downforce22]

I'm going to give this a try as my pump is stuck and the ears snapped off. Any other suggestions?

[jerseytim]

i removed the rad, undid the water pump bolts and attached a ratchet strap to the water pump then fed the other end through the grill on to the tow bar of the wifes jeep then tightened the strap until it had some tension on the pump then tapped the water pump with a hammer and it came out. it was already destroyed as the threaded holes that you put the bolt through for removal had both snapped off. worked for me.

[downforce22]

Thanks for the idea, but i couldn't do that with the ac still installed. I believe my solution was about as bad as some of the others i have heard. i doubt the pump was replaced this millenium as the rear half separated from the front half and broken the housing before coming loose. For those of you who are struggling, I just whacked on it with a big hammed a bunch. Like a ton, and it didn't seem to be moving at all. After a while I noticed there was a tiny gap between the block and the housing so i sprayed more penetrating lubricant in there and smacked back and forth. Once I heard a snap and saw the lower bolt mount cracked off, it gave me some motivation and I was able to get it to wiggle a little. A few more hard blows and a pry later the front half was out.

Long story short, don't give up! I also had to pry the remnants of the housing out of the block and the impeller blade. Will have pictures to show you of the carnage.

[DotBeta]

I am currently going through this exact procedure. Took everything apart and snapped off the ears for the screw removal method. I've been beating on it all day and it hasn't moved a mm. Sprayed a mix of brake fluid and atf on there to see if it can penetrate and soften the deposits up, I'll hit it again in the morning "literally.

Pics of my current situation





I have pulled my radiator and deleted my a/c long ago so I have all the room in the world. I am considering hooking a slide hammer with a claw to the shaft and giving it hell, but I think I'll try your guys methods first since I have to wait a day or 2 for my friend to bring the slide hammer over.

[colin86325]

I, too, have faced the cracked/broken water pump.  Not fun in the least.
I used penetrating spray and a 5lb hammer and beat it from every direction.  I finally resorted to a very heavy duty crow bar and even with that I had to put a lot of effort into it.  I had to walk away a couple times because I was fed up with the project, but don't give up.  It will come out...eventually.

I made sure to coat the new pump with a nice layer of anti-seize paste!

[DotBeta]

FUCK YOU WATER PUMP! ON THIS DAY, MAN WINS. With the help of his lady.



What I ended up doing is literally stepping into the engine bay, popping the crow bar behind the shaft, putting a foot against the radiator support bracket and leaning back on it like no tomorrow WHILE having my girlfriend hit it with a hammer, her girly taps made all the difference lmao. Meanwhile...



if you look at the bottom of the piece that got stuck in there, I can't tell if that's a warp from heat? I gotta figure out how to pull this turd out so I can finishc leaning it up and button her back up. the impeller in the back is like a super thin aluminum metal, its not as beefy as the one on the new pump i got.

[colin86325]

Glad you got it out!  Mine stayed together but it was simply incredible how much effort it was to remove the damn thing.

Maybe you get a slide hammer arrangement to pull the remainders?