Water Pump & Engine Mount Replacement

Hello Everyone! I am planning to replace the water pump and engine mounts on my '99 C2 with 84K miles in a couple weeks when I get it out of storage. This is strictly a preventative maintenance job. This will be my first time doing anything more than an oil change on the C2. I've read several how-to's on this job and watched the youtube video. Overall, this looks like a good job that I can handle and to get comfortable with working on this car. The items I plan to purchase are: Water pump and gasket, Tstat and gasket, engine mounts, porsche coolant (2 gallons). I have a quote from Sunset and will also check with Suncoast. Outside of these items, is there anything else I need for this job? Are there any other 'while you're in there' parts I should consider replacing at this time? Tools: Let's pretend I'm starting from scratch here. I have ramps that I plan to use during this job but I need to get a floor jack (and jack stands while I'm at it). I have a local Harbor Freight with several models. Any recommendation on the best floor jack not only for this job, but also future maintenance? Here are the models at HF: http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...oor-jacks.html I also plan to pick up this tool kit that should have about everything else I need for this job and a few others: http://www.harborfreight.com/profess...kit-69312.html Are there any other tools that I might need to complete this job? I plan to use the burp method to get the coolant back in (I don't have a compressor). Thanks for any and all advice! I'm looking forward to tackling this job!

You may not want to buy the HF cheap Chinese crap if you want the tools to last. I buy some things there as well, usually some specialty stuff but for floor jacks and tools buy the Craftsman brand. You can catch some serious sales at Sears on top notch Craftsman tools and not worry about them breaking or rounding off fasteners like the HF stuff. Im sure others will disagree but I for one do not get cheap on tools. When I buy tools, I plan on using them for a lifetime.

Harbor freight stuff is fine if you don't use them often and if they are not life saving items. For jacks, I think same as KrazyK, buy a brand, don't save on these. My HF hydrolic jacks have been working great and so are my other HF tools, but for the jacks I spend money on good ones. Find the one with rubber top so you don't damage the paint from the jack points on the chassis.

Take your time. I bought the HF aluminum jack to support the engine. I think it was $69 with coupon a few years ago. Cheap jack that still works well. Consider replacing the serpentine belt since you have to remove it. Also check the pulleys are smooth and have no play. I recall one or two nuts around the water pump were hard to get to. You may need a few open-end wrenches and small sockets with elbows and extensions. There was/is a good YouTube video on this job. Watch it a few times. It was really informative. However, I didn't use sealant, just the supplied metal gasket. You may need liquid wrench or wd-40 to get the muffler bolts and brackets apart. It's a tight fit getting the pump out between the engine and engine support. Don't force anything and take your time.

also consider getting new expansion tank + cap and new serpentine belt

I'm definitely not a HF hater, but some of their stuff is complete junk. I've seen that particular tool kit and IMHO it definitely falls in the junk category... On the other hand, some of the HF stuff is actually quite decent. Most of the stuff labeled "Pittsburgh Pro" is as good as you are going to get for inexpensive tools... Will I sell off my snap-on tools and buy only HF? Nope... but I have set up a few secondary tool boxes using some of the items listed below and definitely can recommend them. Buy the socket sets and handle separately. Their composite ratchets are excellent. I have multiple snap-on and matco ratchets and I still grab this one frequently. They also have 1/2" and 1/4" versions. Go for a 3/8" socket set like this .. A 1/4" socket set as well... Hex bit sockets. ... A set of decent combination wrenches... I don't like any HF screwdrivers ( especially the black-handled ones in the kit you linked to). You can usually get a super nice set of German Wiha screwdrivers on Amazon for a great price. Same suggestion for pliers (Wiha, Amazon), Torx driver set. I use these Wiha torx drivers . You can also look for Felo screwdrivers screwdrivers and torx drivers torx drivers on Amazon. Also extremely well made and relatively inexpensive. I've been using a HF aluminum jack for years... Recently it began to leak and they really aren't rebuildable. Even so, I bought another HF floor jack. I bought this floor jack this time, very low profile, easy to get into recessed spots. So far it seems like a pretty good jack, hard to beat for $80. Aluminum jacks are great if you are going to haul them to the track, but for garage use, if you have space somewhere to 'park' it, the steel jacks are stronger, lower profile, and less expensive. If you do buy Craftsman tools, shop carefully. They have changed production on most of their hand tools from US to China over the last few years. You can sometimes see the same tool on the shelf, some marked US and some marked China, with obvious differences in quality. Like HF, some craftsman stuff is quite good, and other stuff at this point is not worthy of the name.

Also take a look at Home Depot Mechanics tools. They are very well made, fairly inexpensive and guaranteed for life. http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardw...&storeId=10051

As others pointed out some HF stuff is ok and can be adequate for the casual DIY. I do own a handful of HF stuff but I also own some titanium Facom tools as well and I see nothing wrong with SOME of the HF stuff. HOWEVER, one place I've learned not to skimp on are hand tools like ratchets, sockets, wrenches. Cheaper versions tend to use inferior metals along with very loose tolerances. There's nothing more annoying than to round off a head or have gearing on a ratchet let go. Plus these are the tools you'll be using often so higher chance of something like this happening.

Get the craftsman 260 pc mechanics set at a minimum (it on sale right now for $180.00 - no brainer). I have used that set remove an engine and swap a new one in on multiple BMWs. It literally had everything I needed. Get a aluminum low profile jack while you are there. I just did the 996 water pump/tstat and oil filler neck replacement last weekend with this set. You will need snips to cut/trim the metal waterpump gasket as well. And the most important tool is the UView 550000 vacuum fill coolant tool and an air compressor. There is simply no better way to drain and fill these cars. The Uview was $120 on amazon and the compressor I bought at homedepot (with brad nailer kit) for $99.00. Works awesome. You will probably break your oil filler neck moving the airbox in and out and working in that area. Be prepared to replace that. Its not that much of a hassle.

The water pump is a real PITA! I would gladly pay to have that job done. Engine mounts are a piece of cake. Have fun!

What??????

Quotes source post: 10262141

Exactly, if you think the water pump is a PITA, I'm assuming you haven't done too many other things on the car yet.

Please post any hurdles you face while doing this job. I plan to do an oil change and water pump in 1,500 miles or so on mine. By the sound of it, I should be doing engine mounts as well.

All your answers are here: http://renntech.org

Ok, I've done both of these, so I'll give you my .02, for whatever it's worth. Re: the water pump, you may need a hose pick or hose pliers, as the one that connects to the thermostat is a HUGE pain in the **** to get off. BUT, if you are replacing the thermostat and thermostat gasket you can leave it on. You need a good set of extensions, torque wrench, swivels, sockets (deep and regular). As the YouTube video mentions, when removing the water pump bolts, there is/are one (maybe two) that are different length than the others, you want to notate that when you are removing them, specifically which order you are taking out. I agree with the earlier comment about replacing the serp belt. It's a very easy job, and unless it has been done recently, it's worth doing, and you will already have the air intake box removed anyway. Re: the motor mounts, you definitely need a 6" extender, and a DEEP 18mm socket for the nuts on the underside of the mount. One more thing, unless this has been done before on your car, I would recommend hitting all of the nuts/bolts you will be removing that get you to the water pump with WD-40, or something to break them loose the night before. When I was taking mine off, they had definitely never been removed, and the guy from Stuttgart that put them on was still laughing about how hard he cranked each of them down. Good luck. If you get stuck, throw up a post and someone here should be able to help walk you through it. Cheers, DS

Thanks all for the great feedback. I will replace the serpentine while while I'm in there. It was replaced 25k miles ago but that was back 7 years ago so it is due. I tried to just break loose a few of the nuts/bolts a couple weeks back. The engine brace ones broke loose without too much effort but the exhaust didn't budge. I'll take the advice to soak them with some WD40 and let it sit overnight. Based on the advice, I'll visit my local sears before I venture over to HF. I inquired at Suncoast about a magnetic oil drain plug and they said they don't sell one and that Porsche advises against it. Is there any possible negative side effects to this? I'm looking forward to this job and will report back once I get into it but it will be a few weeks before I get her back home from the winter nap. -Brad