Water Pump: Service and Repair

Removal and Installation

WARNING: Never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot. Serious burns could occur from high pressure fluid escaping from the radiator.

REMOVAL
1. Drain engine coolant so that no engine coolant comes out from water pump fitting hole.

CAUTION: Perform when the engine is cold.

2. Remove below the parts.
^ Engine undercover
^ Air duct and engine room cover
For removing engine room cover, refer to "Removal and Installation".
^ Alternator, water pump and A/C compressor belt
For removing drive belt, refer to "Removal and Installation".

CAUTION: Leave the fixed auto tensioner pulley in its fixed position when removing the drive belt.

3. Disconnect the harness connector for the cooling fan speed control solenoid valve (joined with the water pump).
4. Remove the water pump pulley.
5. Disconnect the cooling fan fluid hose.
^ Because there is no drain plug, drain the fluid from the hose separation point.
^ Prepare a receptacle with a volume of approximately 1 liters (2 - 1/8 US pint, 1 - 3/4 Imp pint).

6. Remove the water pump.
^ Engine coolant will leak from the cylinder block, so have a receptacle ready below.

CAUTION:
^ Handle the water pump vane so that it does not contact any other parts.
^ Do not disassemble the water pump (including the cooling fan pump and cooling fan speed control solenoid valve).

INSPECTION AFTER REMOVAL





^ Visually check that there is no significant dirt or rusting on the water pump body and vane.
^ Check that there is no looseness in the vane shaft, and that it turns smoothly when rotated by hand.
^ Visually check that there is no fluid leakage from the cooling fan pump part and the cooling fan speed control solenoid valve part.
^ If there are any unusualness, replace the water pump assembly.

INSTALLATION
^ Install in the reverse order of removal.
^ Apply Genuine Nissan Power Steering Fluid II (the cooling fan fluid) or equivalent to the O-ring of the cooling fan fluid hose (on the feed side). Then insert the O-ring to the water pump so that it does not come out of the attachment groove.
^ For bleeding the air from the cooling system, refer to "REFILLING ENGINE COOLANT".
^ For bleeding the air from the cooling fan fluid, refer to "INSTALLATION".

INSPECTION AFTER INSTALLATION
^ After installing water pump, check for leaks for engine coolant using radiator cap tester. Refer to "LEAK CHECK".
^ Start the engine. Visually check that there is no leaks of the engine coolant and cooling fan fluid.