Help changing water pump on VL

[iank1000]

Going to have a go at replacing the water pump on a VL. from what Ive read I will replace the timing belt with a kit at the same time.
A few questions please. To get the harmonic balance pulley off its undo the pulley bolt. Being an auto what is the easiest way to stop the motor turning while undoing the bolt? Once I get the bolt undone & before I remove the pulley I am guessing I get cylinder 1 to top dead centre and verify the timing mark is correct and mark it. Same when I get the timing cover off do I mark the position of the belt pulleys before removing the belt? Any advise appreciated.

 

[J_D 2.0]

You need a flywheel locking tool which will engage with the teeth of the flywheel/flex plate to stop it turning. You normally remove the starter motor to fit the locking tool.

Don’t make the mistake of just using the parking pawl and expecting it to lock it sufficiently as it has a high likelihood of breaking the parking pawl and then park won’t work.

 

[iank1000]

Thanks for the reply and the warning re the park pawl. I dont have access to a tool, are there any other options?

 

[J_D 2.0]

Not really. You have to stop the crankshaft from moving and the only way to do that is to stop the flywheel from moving.

Depending on the specific circumstances it might be possible to get another operator to hold the flywheel by wedging a flat blade screwdriver against the teeth of the flywheel but I wouldn’t like your chances. You will probably need to invest in the tool or pay a mechanic to do the job.

 

[iank1000]

thanks for the reply. I wondered if a quick burst with a rattle gun would be worth a try

 

[J_D 2.0]

thanks for the reply. I wondered if a quick burst with a rattle gun would be worth a try

If you’ve got a rattle gun with a decent amount of grunt then it might work.

 

[iank1000]

ok

 

[chrisp]

Cam belt on a VL is pretty easy to do. I had it down to 30 minutes at one stage (while I was playing around with the cam timing). From memory, it was undo the fan (but sit it in the shroud - it won’t come out over the shroud), then I undo the shroud and lift it out with the fan. Sit the fan somewhere vertically. You’ll have lots of room in front of the engine after this.

I had a manual (gearbox) so undoing the crank bolt was reasonably easy. The crank pulley requires a puller - the standard everyday type that uses bolts, but i can’t recall the thread size nor the length. Be careful as there is a key between the crank and the pulley and it can be easily lost (damhik!).

The covers over the belt come off easily. It’s good practice to move the engine until the timing marks line up. Remove the belt, remove the water pump, etc…

As you have an auto, you’ll have the remove the starter motor and wedge the ring gear somehow, or use a rattle gun.

 

[iank1000]

Thanks for the info. Looks like getting the crank pulley off is going to be the biggest job. What a design eh! To get to the water pump. You must have done a lot to get it to 30mins

 

[chrisp]

Thanks for the info. Looks like getting the crank pulley off is going to be the biggest job. What a design eh! To get to the water pump. You must have done a lot to get it to 30mins

In the scheme of things, the VL cam belt is very easy. Most of the time is taken looking to see what bolts need to come out and what size socket to use. Once you know (or remember!) it’s very straightforward. There is lots of room after the fan and shroud is removed, so it’s pretty easy to see what needs to be done, but it is still a bit of contortion. Take your time - it’ll be easy enough once you have the crank bolt out.

The hard cam belts to change are the ones on front wheel drive cars as the clearances are very tight.