So I haven't been on here in awhile, but looking for a little help with my Cadi. I let it sit for a few months, and am trying to go change the water pump on it now. i have it completey openned up and exposed, but since it was sitting for solong without a full reservoir of coolant the water pump is now rusted in...

I tried prying it out by the tabs with a screw driver one-by-one on each tab. no success, they are pretty much all bent now. so what i'm wondering is what is my next available option? I dont wanna take it to a mechanic because that will require putting it back together and i dont wanna do that to pay someone to do what i've already done... HELP PLEASE, and thanks guys.

 

They make a special tool/socket to remove and install water pump. They are available at some parts store and some may have it as a "loaner"

 

thanks slowroll, i appreciate the help. i'll run by the napa by my house and carquest and see whats available to use. i knew you guys on here would have a great answer for me, and you specifically have always been helpful. thanks again and i'll keep you updated if this doesn't do the job.

 

The water pump on the Northstar twists into the housing...you have to screw it out...kinda. If you've ever removed the fuel sending unit from most any domestic car, it's basically the same type of deal.
I do happen to have the tools for this, if you're in the Dallas Texas area.

My first one, I didn't have the tools, and I used a large screwdriver and hammer to "gently"(yeah...right!) tap it around to release it from the housing. That's when I bought the tools.

 

Yeah, I'm a little far from the Dallas area (30 miles from Seattle) but i appreciate the offer...

I did go and actually rent the tool from auto zone though last night, but it ended up not working out for me. I know I got the right socket for the job, because it does slide into the area of the water pump that looks like its ready to push the tabs out. I attempted multiple times last night to remove the old water pump, but that b@$t@rd is so rusted in there that I can't twist it out.

for reference i am trying to twist it to the right, as it looks like the pump's brackets are opposite normal screw threads. and I only had an about 12" long 3/8" drive ratchet with a 1/2" drive adapter to fit into the 1/2" drive socket, so i know that may be one of my issues...

so my question is does anyone have any ideas as to where to go from here? my first, and obvious, step i wanna take is to go buy a longer 1/2" drive ratchet so i can get some more leverage on the pump.
the other idea i had is if that doesn't work to maybe try to use a pnuematic ratchet to try and pry the water pump out. i dont know if that will be safe though, both on myself or on the socket since it is not an impact type socket... any ideas on this method?
the last thing i can even think of doing would be to take the whole housing off for the water pump and replace that, but i would almost prefer to take the car to a mechanic before i go that route

so please, if anyone has any better ideas as to what i can do without resorting to spraying wd-40 in my cooling system (didn't think that'd be the smartest move) or taking this beast to a mechanic i would love any and all input. thanks guys

 

You need the longest 1/2 breaker bar or ratchet you can find ...20-24 inches long.

 

Get a piece of pipe and slip over the end of ratchet handle to give you more leverage.

 

So i tried a 15" breaker bar, and it still was no use...

i was trying for the whole weekend damn near. i tried the bar by itself, no luck. so i went and got some PB Blaster and shot it up in there and let it soak for a while. came out and gave it a few good whacks and tried to move it again, still no luck... but in all of my trying i think i may have f*d myself even more

the closest thing i can explain it to what has happened to my water pump is that i stripped it... on the outside if the edge is suppossed to look like this [=== i made it look like this <=== so that the socket kinda just slides right off track of where it should be twisting the pump out. not to mention the fact that the socket never stayed flush wn i tried to crank the breaker bar, and half of it would just lift of of the water pump... errgg...

so now im in a major dilemma. i think the only option i have left to get this done personally is gonna be to take the whole water pump housing off so i can either replace or take this pump out in more hospitable conditions...
and now im not a mechanic, and i have never done anything like this before, but i do know how to use a wrench, and ratchet, AND allen wrenches (seen a few of these are needed to do this). so i am wondering if this is something that i should move my Cadi into the garage for and i can do this work myself? or should i put everything back together and try to get it to a mechanic's shop to have them worry about it? (don't really have the money for this option right now so if i do this it'll have to sit for awhile before...)???? any suggestions?

oh, and one last question.... is there any way or anything anyone can think of that i could just take a special tool and just cut the dang thing out?

thanks again for all the input guys, really appreciate hearing other's opionions before i go crazy on my car

 

I have never replaced a cadillac water pump yet. Are you sure you are turning it in the right direction? Meaning it MAY come loose by turning it CLOCKWISE? Verify the direction needed to turn it to loosen it!!!! then grab a long pipe and slip on the ratchet handle and try it.

I replaced a water pump on a ford aerostar and had a hell of a time getting the fan clutch off. It had backwards threads on it, meaning turn to the right to loosen. I couldn't get a long pipe on ratchet on the van so I took the whole thing off and put it in my big vise and pounded on it for a long time before the SOB broke loose.

Also some times applying heat with a torch will help but I was afraid to heat aluminum, so I just pounded the wrench with a hammer and cussed for a couple hours and it finally broke free.

Many things you have to loosen by turning the nut in the direction it turns, like saw blades, it keeps them from coming loose while they are turning in that direction.

 

Yeah, thats the way i have been trying to turn it, but with no luck still. i have the new water pump to compare to so i know that i am going to right way now (clockwise)... thats not to say that i did TRY a few times to turn it like a normal nut and was peeved at myself after just looking at the new one that i did this...

i dont think theres any fan clutch or other nut/ bolt/ hinge/ gasket/ sealer/ whatever attached to the water pump to keep it in the housing other than the actual body of the pump that is stationary... but if there is, PLEASE someone tell me where it is so i can quit being a tard and actually go about doing this like i am suppossed to.

the installation instructions for the new pump weren't very specific. goes something like : remove old water pump, clean, replace with new pump. like i said, VERY SPECIFIC.

i think i'm going to try to go at it with a small torch as soon as it gets better over here in washington seeing as your the second person to recommend that in the same day. can i ask, how will this actually help me to twist this sucker out? like does anyone know the science behind how it'll work???

another similar question: is there anyway that i can remove the bolt that runs through the center of the old water pump while it is still on the engine? then i could just pull everything else off the old pump (if it doesn't fall of anyways) and only worry about the one piece of metal to twist out of the housing