Water Pump Replacement

[cucmbere]

Hi all,
Just joined not long ago and this is my first post. Well, I bought a used(120K)98VT Berlina wagon in 2004 and apart for the regular servicing there has been nothing else to complain about. 35K`s and 5 years later (I have been overseas)two components failed within one weekend. The alternator burned out and the water pump was leaking water. Both have been replaced and the car runs fine again. The water pump failed because of corrosion. The car was not driven for around 1 year.

This is about the water pump job. The mechanic destroyed one pulley removing it with a chisel and hammer saying "it was stuck because the bearing had siezed"-"it had to be done to get that bolt out for the pump(see attachment), the bolt farthest to right, to remove the pump".

Knowing next to nothing about cars just means that I have not invested time enough to learn but logic tells me that when I look at the thing I can see that when the center pulley over the pump is removed that it would not be difficult to remove that bolt on the right.

Is this really the case. I feel like a right idiot that I did not figure this on the spot. Anyone with some input on this please.

Cheers

Bob.

[Pub247]

OK he might have a point on this yes you can remove the waterpump pulley as you said and make the bolt accesable but a few of those waterpump bolts are quite long and go through the pump and timing cover and are screwed into the block if this is one those bolts and the idler pulley is in the way it would be necessary to remove the idler pulley

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

No...the mechanic is right. You can not remove that bolt without first removing the idler pulley. But...and it is a huge but....if he didn't know it was a LH thread bolt he would destroy it trying to get it off.....I have never had one that wouldn't come undone. My theory...and don't take this as gospel...is that he tried undoing it and rounded it off before realising (or being told) it was LH thread.....

[cucmbere]

didnt think of this of course-how could i know. the mechanic could have said so still i think.

[vt s]

I recently replaced a water pump in a VS which to my knowlede is the same belt organisation. Trying to remember now but all i did was use a 15mm spanner on i think it was the alternator pulley and the whole pulley just pivotted so that the belt could be remvoed and also didnt have any need at all to remove the iddler pulley..
Anyway just giving you another example of the job being done prob wont help but anyway..

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

The VS idler pulley is a bit smaller I think because the alternator pulley is larger. The thing you would have moved is the tensioner pulley.

[pablo]

[QUOTE][if he didn't know it was a LH thread bolt he would destroy it trying to get it off.....I have never had one that wouldn't come undone. My theory...and don't take this as gospel...is that he tried undoing it and rounded it off before realising (or being told) it was LH thread.....
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/QUOTE]

I replaced this same pulley a few weeks ago, and mine was a right hand thread!
The left hand thread was the tensioner pulley bolt!

Pablo

[glowworm]

I did mine today and it was right hand thread had no trouble what so ever 15 ml on it and straight off..

[BOGANV8]

No...the mechanic is right. You can not remove that bolt without first removing the idler pulley. But...and it is a huge but....if he didn't know it was a LH thread bolt he would destroy it trying to get it off.....I have never had one that wouldn't come undone. My theory...and don't take this as gospel...is that he tried undoing it and rounded it off before realising (or being told) it was LH thread.....

Only the tensioner is LH thread...

All the other pulleys are RH thread so they undo the normal way..

To also answer the OP ? you do have to remove the pulley as that bolt it quite long bout 2 inches i think from memory. So the bolt has to come out all the way for the water pump to come off.

Have seen quite a few that have been seized on...

[holdenvtman1123]

defiantly right hand thread. but don't despair the old pulley was probably plastic and you didn't want it anyway. from now on the replacement of the metal pulleys bearing is around 4 bucks at the auto shop. the metal pulleys are around 30-50 bucks. maybe the bearing was seazed on the old one. but why would you need a new bolt.mmmmmm.

[11gothevt11]

No...the mechanic is right. You can not remove that bolt without first removing the idler pulley. But...and it is a huge but....if he didn't know it was a LH thread bolt he would destroy it trying to get it off.....I have never had one that wouldn't come undone. My theory...and don't take this as gospel...is that he tried undoing it and rounded it off before realising (or being told) it was LH thread.....

I am about to change water pump
Are all 3 idler pulley bolts lh thread in the vt v6???????
Also all the bolt holding the waterpump on all rd thread?
Thankyou