Author Topic: Water pump removal flanges snapped off, how do I remove water pump? Please help! (Read 4731 times)

Haraise · « **on:** October 18, 2009, 07:50:41 PM »

As per the title.

Any ideas other on how to remove the pump, other than a pry bar?

iamcreepingdeath · « **Reply #1 on:** October 18, 2009, 09:04:56 PM »

other than a pry bar? remove fan/radiator/shroud and see if you can get a gear puller on it. although not sure what you would pull against.

or giant vice grips and twist the whole water pump

Haraise · « **Reply #2 on:** October 18, 2009, 11:26:41 PM »

Yeah, the gear puller would just be pulling against what it was hooked to, not doing anything.

Couldn't twist it.

Couldn't pry it out, even with a big guy friend of mine.

Been working on this all night, no luck.

DesktopDave · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2009, 08:44:16 AM »

If the pump is still wedged in there, check out this Pelican Tech article. The comments below are excellent, the tools they came up with are cheap & effective:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/E36-water-pump/E36-water-pump.htm

I'd bolt a bit of flat stock or angle iron into the pulley flange, then use a gear puller, pry bar or slide hammer to get it out. After that, maybe a cold chisel & sledge. Did you pull the radiator to get more working space?

If worse comes to worse you can still pull the front off the engine. That's a lot of work to replace a water pump.

rac3r · « **Reply #4 on:** May 20, 2011, 09:30:51 PM »

I recently had a stubborn water pump problem, and I thought I'd share what worked for me. I removed the upper and lower timing chain cover and the harmonic balancer to provide a little extra space (I was doing a timing chain job anyways). I put a big pipe wrench on the pump and then a cheater bar on the pipe wrench. Using all the strength I have, I was able to get the pump to turn. It only moved a few degrees at first. After turning it clockwise and counter clockwise many many times, it slowly started to work its way out. It was calcium deposits that had made it stick. Of couse, be careful and don't scratch any mating surfaces while the timing covers are off.

a930rocket · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2011, 06:52:55 PM »

I had the same problem and thought I poked a hole in the block when it snapped! After working on it some more, I was able to wiggle it free.

MikeDE · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2011, 04:47:31 PM »

Still stuck?? Pull the radiator and put a slide-hammer on that SOB.