AU Waterpump Replacement Guide

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Grandpa_Spec_AU’s guide to replacing an AU I6 Falcon water pump.

(If you wish to just get to the point, skip the foreword and begin at the numbered instructions)

Yes kids it’s time again to listen to Granpa_Spec_AU’s ranting on DIY mechanical work, how ‘back in his day’ things weren’t so complicated, and how this new-age world scares him and Armageddon is coming to rid us of the evil anti-christ that is Justin Bieber………. not really.

On to the topic at ham! Mmm ham….

NO! SERIOUSLY!

Now, after getting yelled at by Mr Hardware about 6 months ago for not topping up my radiator, I noticed a small leak kept draining the reservoir every couple of weeks. This suddenly turned into days and then I was topping it up with 4L of water to get to work, then 4L to get home.

Turns out it was the heater tap that was busted, and after enlisting the help of my mechanic friend this was quickly replaced, however, the waterpump was also showing signs of leaking from the return pipe, as well as around the
outside.

As the car is getting on, I thought it best to just replace the thing and be done with it.


So here it goes:

*** N.B. If you want to play it super safe, remove your negative battery terminal ***

Tools you will need can be seen in the pic below, they consist of:
a.) Phillips and Flat blade screwdriver
b.) 10mm Socket with extentions
c.) 10mm Open/Ring/Ratchet spanner
d.) Pliers
e.) Thread sealant
f.) 1 pen, so you look professional



1. Remove the air snorkel by taking out two Phillips head screws holding it in place, wiggle it off the airbox and remove from the engine bay.



2. Next take a 10mm socket and remove the nut holding down the plastic
protector.

3. Remove the power steering cap and pull off the plastic protector, ensuring to replace the cap once the protector is off.

4. OPTIONAL: If you have the VCT motor you will also need to disconnect the wiring from the solenoid, then push the plastic lugs back through so you can separate the wire from the protector and place it to the side.



5. To remove the thermo fans, take your 10mm socket and undoing both bolts at either side.



6. Disconnect the plug going to the thermo fans and remove the thermo fans, placing them aside. (This is located on the left side when facing the car front on)

7. Remove the belt by levering the tensioner towards the left of the car, and slide the belt off the A/C compressor (easiest way I found was to just use a large plank of wood and jimmy it between the A/C and the tensioner.)

Some like to draw a little diagram to remember how the belt fits on, and it’s a damn good idea! Check the resources on the forum here if you are unsure.



8. This is the fun part! On the left hand side (facing the car front on), using a Phillips or flat blade screwdriver, get under the car and undo the bottom clasp that is holding the radiator hose on.

Get above the car and “persuade” the hose off the radiator, this is going to gush out water at a rate of knots so don’t get your face near it! (i.e. do it from underneath!) You may want to mark which end is which with your pen.



9. Remove the other end of the radiator hose you disconnected from the waterpump, this was a ROYAL PAIN IN THE BUTT as the clasp has a funny little head on it, which requires some sort of special tool… like myself… with pliers

Undo this (However you can) and then FORCE IT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT! I ended up borrowing a hair dryer and heating the pipe up to a billion degrees so that it would come off, as there is a little lip that seems to hold it in place.

I couldn't get a photo of the bugger as my camera wouldn't fit, so just stick you head inside they engine bay, you'll soon meet your adversary. (***NOTE!: If you look at the image for step 5, the head of the metal clasp holding the heater hose onto the top of the radiator is the same as mentioned above)

10. Next, there are four bolts holding the pump to the engine block. Getting to them left me with hands that shared a striking similarity to grated cheese, as the ¼ driver socket set I was using was too big to fit behind the water pump drive wheel.

So, using either spanners, ratchet spanners or a socket set, undo the four bolts, more water will come out and it’s gonna smell really bad! Below is a photo of the one I took out to serve as a guide.

Rear of waterpump:



Front of waterpump:



11. Remove the waterpump and clean down the area where it was, ensuring you also clean inside the heater return pipe.

12. Go and unpack your new water pump, ensuring you get all the little
gaskets etc. that came with it.

13. Use some lubricant (I used Vaseline) and grease up the inside of the heater return hole, placing the “O”-ring gasket inside this.

14. Clean down the bolts you removed and put some thread sealant onto them, then place them into the new waterpump so they are just sitting in there.

15. Install your new waterpump and ensure the heater return line is correctly lined up, and gradually tighten the 4 bolts as you would car wheel nuts. (I.e. criss cross) until you can’t tighten them anymore without using some force, this should results in no leaks. To loose, and water ****ed out everywhere, too tight and you’re in a whole lot of trouble.

16. Reattach the radiator hose to the waterpump and radiator, doing up the metal clasps.

17. Fill the car up with water and check for leaks.

18. Reinstall the belt, thermo fans and plastic protectors (and VCT wire if needed).

19. Ford also specifies that you need to run the car for 10 minutes at 2000rpm in order to get the air out of the system.

20. Mount your waterpump in the garden somewhere and fill it with flowers, works rather well as an ornament :P



This guide is provided only as an example of it can be done. By no means is it authoritative or comprehensive, it’s just how I did it.

Thank you to Mr Hardware and Whoosa for proof reading and general advice

The car in question was my AU Series 1 Fairmont Ghia, however all the I6 engines from series 1 onward should be the same.

Regards,

Grandpa_Spec_AU

[ronwest]

Jolly good mate; well done.

Always good to see people being of assistance to others

[GK]

Great work!

GK

[JK EX CHASER]

Well done top job.

[Eleanor]

Nice. I think I might be doing this on mine soon.

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by Grandpa_Spec_AU

Now, after getting yelled at by Mr Hardware about 6 months ago for not topping up my radiator,

Yeah I'm like that

Excellent writeup man, looks great.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Yeah I'm like that

Excellent writeup man, looks great.

I still maintain you are mad... who keeps paperclips in their engine bay just in case they need to adjust their windscreen washers

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

I still maintain you are mad... who keeps paperclips in their engine bay just in case they need to adjust their windscreen washers

there's only one, so it's singular.
and i'm just one of those super-handy old men in training.

[Whoosha]

And saved to the Au Bible nice work

[fab4272]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

I still maintain you are mad... who keeps paperclips in their engine bay just in case they need to adjust their windscreen washers

I keep a small pin, the one with a plastic bulb in my seat just below the head rest.....exactly for this purpose...lol

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by fab4272

I keep a small pin, the one with a plastic bulb in my seat just below the head rest.....exactly for this purpose...lol

i used to use a pin
pins snap.
now i use paperclips

[Pump27]

My car has a leak at the same junction (Heater Return Line and Water Pump)..I'm sure the the 'O' ring is gone....Can the 'O' ring and Waterpump gaskets be purchased separately? My water pump seems to still be ok...
If someone could help ASAP..
Thanks
Proud Owner
AU SR Series 3 (aka Phantom)

[rowan194]

The heater pipe coming out of the water pump is leaking on my car, so I'm going to replace the whole pump as a preventative measure (190,000km, could be original?)

Couple of questions...



1. This is how it was supplied, with the cardboard gasket against the pump, then a metal plate against the gasket. Is the gasket in the plastic bag also supposed to be fitted (pump-gasket-plate-gasket-engine), or is it a spare?

2. Is it normal for the pump to feel stiff? The pulley moves, but if I give it a shove it doesn't freewheel.

[mik]

Originally Posted by rowan194

The heater pipe coming out of the water pump is leaking on my car, so I'm going to replace the whole pump as a preventative measure (190,000km, could be original?)

Couple of questions...



1. This is how it was supplied, with the cardboard gasket against the pump, then a metal plate against the gasket. Is the gasket in the plastic bag also supposed to be fitted (pump-gasket-plate-gasket-engine), or is it a spare?

2. Is it normal for the pump to feel stiff? The pulley moves, but if I give it a shove it doesn't freewheel.

my pump started to leak just after 100000 k`s i doubt your would be original.

yes and yes, indeed you need to fit the extra gasket between the plate and the block , i don`t know if i did`nt read the post right(quite possibly for me) but i did`nt see gasget cement mentioned for the gasket, not meaning to be a smarty or belittle this excellent how to by Grandpa_Spec_AU , but i was always taught to use gasket cement on the water pump gasket/s, permatex no2(if i remember correctly) or some other recommended gasket cement for the water pump, i used ultra copper on mine, someone please correct me if i`m wrong. and yes it is normal for the new pump to be a bit stiff.

[dieseltrain79]

Awsome write up

ABout to tackle this myself in the next couple of days

However i thought the O-Ring gasket on the water pipe actually gets fitted tot he pipe before fitting ?

An i also recommend using permatex or some other water friendly gasket cement on water pumps

Thanks heaps for the write up . Definately confirmed everything for me .

[rowan194]

Originally Posted by mik

my pump started to leak just after 100000 k`s i doubt your would be original.

I've had the car since 83,000km, it was 3 years and a month old then, it's just over 9 now. I'd be worried if a water pump died in 3 years...

I'll be using permatex form-a-gasket type 2 (the stuff that stays soft) to seal the gaskets.

Also, to add to the OP, there's a drain port on the bottom passenger side of the radiator, it's a hex nut that can also be undone with a phillips head screwdriver. May be a bit less messy to drain the coolant that way. I'm using a wide laundry bucket to catch it.

[mik]

Originally Posted by rowan194

I've had the car since 83,000km, it was 3 years and a month old then, it's just over 9 now. I'd be worried if a water pump died in 3 years...

I'll be using permatex form-a-gasket type 2 (the stuff that stays soft) to seal the gaskets.

Also, to add to the OP, there's a drain port on the bottom passenger side of the radiator, it's a hex nut that can also be undone with a phillips head screwdriver. May be a bit less messy to drain the coolant that way. I'm using a wide laundry bucket to catch it.

i`m the same, i never worried about doing a pump, until it showed signs of a problem, my brothers toyota it`s service policy to change the pump every 100 k`s, i`m starting to think maybe that`s a good preventative policy.
cheers.

[dieseltrain79]

Toyota's and MOST / ALL cars with OHC and TIming belts , usually recommend changing the water pump when doing the Timing Belt service @ 100,000km , Due to the fact you have to remove everything INCLUDING the timing belt to remove the water pump .

Seing as its a highly labour intensive job , costs alot if you pay for it ( i do allmy own ;) ) , Its more of a precautionary measure . As it takes 10 mins to remove and replace whilst all the other items are removed for the timing belt replacement ,..

I mean Murphy's Law says , after someone pays $900-$1500 to have a Full timing belt service including all tensioners and crank and cam seals , and NOT replacing water pump , WILL mean WATER PUMP WILL FAIL in the next few months costing around the $600-$900 mark again , due to the labour costs being the same as the 100k service

Hope that sheds some light on to why OHC cars with timing belts , recommend water pump at the same time

[rowan194]

Did mine today. Couple of tips to add to the OP:

1. You should seriously consider replacing the bottom hose, because it tends to stick to the metal barb (or maybe it's glued on?) I don't think I'd be able to get my hose off the water pump without damaging it.

I decided to replace my belt at the same time, since it needs to be removed anyway to replace the pump.



2. Here's the drain plug, on the bottom passenger side of the rad:





3. To remove and reinstall the belt, you need to loosen the tensioner. Insert a 3/8" socket bar into the bottom idler wheel, and TURN it clockwise. This will shift the idler wheel over and loosen the belt... no need to wedge in bits of wood.



When it's almost all the way over it's possible to insert a 5mm drill bit near the middle section to hold it in place. You may still need to give the bar a shove to move it a bit more when reinstalling the belt (my new belt was very tight), but it will make things easier.





4. Don't forget to use plenty of gasket sealant on the pump face (and gaskets), block face, the heater pipe inlet, and the pipe before you install the o-ring. I used permatex form-a-gasket type 2.

Hope this helps!

[saber]

Hi guys

Where did you buy your water pumps from?

Ebay, wreckers, Repco/Supercheap/Autobarn or genuine Ford?

Cheers

PS: Great right up guys! Will need to do the old mans water pump soon. While I had a fair idea on how to do it, having it all written down with pictures reinforces what I thought needed to be done.

[AndrewR_AUII]

Done this a year or two back, not a hard job the important thing is to make sure the sealing surface are nice and flat before reassembly.

While doing this, also think about flushing the cooling system and replacing the hoses... keep the old hoses for spares to chuck in the back when on long trips.

[rowan194]

I replaced mine with a Protex from Supercheap, it was about $85.

Also did the upper and lower hoses plus the belt at the same time.

[wombat30x]

One more quick piece of advice,when you purchase a new water pump make sure it comes with a new pulley fitted,Some don't.I thought this is not a problem until I tried to remove the pulley from the old pump,being plastic the only purchase for a puller is on the hub and damn thay must put them on tight at the factory because this is what happened to mine



Maybe not a problem in town,however I live over an hours drive from the nearest parts store..So I had to purchase a new pulley and then use the press here to fit it.It's OK if you have access to a press but a bugger to do without it.

[Bill M]

Take care to ensure the heater return pipe with green O ring is centred in the respective bore of the water pump before the bolts are tightened. The O ring seal can fail if not centred correctly.
Don't ask me how I know!
Nice write up on water pump replacement Grandpa spec.
Bill.

[craig lindner]

Hey thanks Grandpa Specs, don't know if you still use this forum, but your illustrated guide made a first time job easy.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Glad you found it useful mate

I've since sold the AU many moons ago however it still amazes me how much knowledge keeps getting added to this thread / forum. That's why I love AFF, it's an endless goldmine of info.

[shaheenis]

Hey I know this thread is quite old but it has certainly helped me so firstly thanks for that .

I have been replacing the water pump on my brother in law's Falcon AU wagon and everything went well but I have noticed the offset on the waterpump pulley seems to be out by 5mm. I cant remember whether this was the same on the old pump but the belt (with motor running) hangs off the pulley by about 5mm. Given the pulley and belt are quite wide, I am not sure this is a problem, just a bit odd. It may put undue force on the bearing. I did ask at the shop and apparently the pump for the AU and AUII is the same. Mine looked exactly the same as those in the pictures here with two fibre gaskets and steel gasket in the middle. Any advice appreciated.

[shaheenis]

On second look it isn't as much as I thought. The pulley is a lot wider than belt so the belt is off the end by 1-2mm which is probably around 10% of the width.

[Spurious]

I've just done a top end rebuild on my AU2, my belt sits square on the pump pulley.
Also keep an eye on the heater pipe, I'm told they tend to rust out in the 2 bends as it rounds the back of the block.

[shaheenis]

Originally Posted by FlivverFord

I've just done a top end rebuild on my AU2, my belt sits square on the pump pulley.
Also keep an eye on the heater pipe, I'm told they tend to rust out in the 2 bends as it rounds the back of the block.

Interesting. Has anyone had this problem with offset? Surely the pump couldn't differ for a 99 AU wagon? Bursons said it was the same pump anyway. :(.