Removing Water Pump from Above

I am readying myself to remove the water pump and thermostat from my car and now have the replacement parts on hand. I have removed the airbox, belt and deflection pulleys, as well as the rear bumper and both rear silencers so there is reasonably easy access to the pump from above and below. I am also just about to replace my engine mounts and have been going around applying penetrating oil for the last week. My primary question is will it be possible to remove the pump from above if I take out the engine mounts at the same time? EDIT: YES the engine carrier will move away at the top enough to get the old pump out and the new pump in. I have removed both mounts and all three pulleys, and backed off the upper two engine carrier bolts to the end of the stub.

I'm pretty sure you cant remove it from above but to be honest i've never attempted it .. underneath and move back the engine carrier bracket is how i do it . I don't do anything to the exhaust .. just loosen the carrier bolts/ nuts and lever it back a bit .

I'm also sure you can't but didn't bother trying when I did mine last winter. As previously mentioned you can move the engine carrier back however, I decided to cut off the old bolts and replace with new. Much easier access tbh when fitting the new pump etc. Below is the link to the jobs showing water pump, mounts and pulleys. http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=131249

Hi demort, thanks for that. Do you mean you just loosen the two engine carrier bolts and don't undo the cat brackets or the plate that goes between the carrier and cats? Then just pry it back a couple of cm for access. Nightrain, thanks for that really useful thread. Your car looks way too clean underneath! Btw, when you changed your pulleys did you get the 996 parts as I've got the correct replacements as per the Porsche part numbers but they are the plastic 997 type pulleys. Did you use heat to get the tensioner pulley off? I've heard the red threadlock used on these needs some heat to be taken off with hand tools.

Hi DC, Clean underneath lol, thats exactly what the Porsche dealer says when it goes for a service and they find nothing additional they can charge me for. The pulleys I ordered are metal from d911, plastic was available but I opted for the original. Part numbers: Drive belt deflection roller 99610211958 Tensioner roller 99610211757 Other deflection roller 99610211856 The other option is to just change the bearings in the original ones which is cheaper if you can access a bench press. The tensioner pulley came off fine with no heat needed on mine.

I just watched a video and they do seem to remove rather a lot .. cat clamp i would only move if it was really in the way though .. loosen the engine brace bracket bolts and lever it back a bit is all i tend to do .. For you then remove parts as needed to make it an easier job .. no point struggling as your not as time conscious as i am .. i think we get about 1.5 hrs to change out a pump . Btw .. for the cat bracket to brace bar .. an angle grinder and cut each bit then lever it off .. a new one can be bent and pushed over the pipe if needed .

Nightrain, just reading through your excellent thread again - 'as we all know 1 job always turns into 10 jobs as I then realised that the pulleys felt worn so decided to change the lot while I'm here and now everything on the back end is off and access clear I might as well add the spark plugs to my ever growing list!' This is exactly where I am now! I have removed the exhausts - so may as well do the coil packs, may as well do the plugs. Removed the water pump so may as well do the stat, the pulleys, the belt, the coolant... Next I'll be buying a compressor and then vacuum pump just to fill the coolant! Where does it end? Demort, thanks for your reply. I'm waiting for an 15mm spanner to arrive to take off the carrier bolts and I'll try to get the pump out without disturbing the cat brackets or fixings. In the meantime I've removed the pump and thermostat bolts and it appears the pump impeller is undamaged. Any tips for removing the rusted jubilee clip from the thermostat coolant pipe without destroying the hose? so many rusty fixings!!! I will need to get a new jubilee clip for the pump and the stat, who makes reasonable quality items? Also - threadlock vs. copaslip. Is there a guide as to which to use in each situation? Is it metal/different metal, or heat cycling, or fastener tension that dictates use?

Hi, I did the waterpump on my newly acquired 3.4 996 over weekend and noticed my idlers were a little worn. Do you know where I can find the correct bearings for the idlers? I've got access to a press so might as well make use of it.

I had a quick look for the bearings prior to ordering the new pulleys and the consensus I saw online was that the replacement bearings tend to only last a few years. I figured it was better just to bite the bullet and go with the new parts, although they are pretty easy to replace if you do need to.

I fitted replacement bearings in my idler rollers (metal) in 2015 and no problems 10K + miles later. Simple to replace with suitable size drifts and a decent vice. Got the replacements from "Simply Bearings" online, part no 3202-2RS-EU Dimensions 15x35x15.9mm Cost then was £37.34 delivered, this was then considerably less than replacing the complete assembly.

Seized jubilee clips and i use a ratchet/ socket rather than a screwdriver .. spray some lubrication on it and just work it backwards and forwards until it snaps / falls apart or comes undone .

Thanks Demort. Nightrain you will no doubt be amused to hear that my Pierburg water pump gasket looks exactly like yours! What terrible packaging. Thanks to your experience I have gained a trip to the OPC for a new gasket and saved having to fit the pump a second time! I owe you both a beer if you're ever in Edinburgh.

Threadlock (or locking threads) are used where the manufacturer decides (or finds during testing) that nuts/bolts may come loose due to vibration, not sure about heating/cooling as I can't think of an example. Copper or Ally based greases are used where nuts/bolts are likely to seize with corrosion. Not surprisingly therefore, manufacturers rarely use them as they are making cars for the first time buyer. As a rule, use ally grease on aluminium, copper based greases actually promote sacrificial corrosion there; that's why Porsche recommend Ally based grease for wheel nuts. Use copper based grease on steel and iron interfaces. On top of this, there are also thread seals where threads go through water or oil interfaces.

That's very kind, thanks for the info. I'll do a diy and post it here if people are interested. It's always bugged me that replacing idlers invariably involves throwing the whole unit away when it's only the bearing that's actually worn.

Maldren, thats's exactly the information I need. So I need an ally grease for fixings into the engine block - EDIT: OPTIMOLY TA is what's required. I'll use blue threadlock on the engine mount fixings and pulleys.