How do you replace the water pump on a 1993 Dodge Colt?

Answer 1

I just replaced my water pump on a '94 1.8L, I am assuming they are the same. The water pump is located under the timing belt cover. You should flush and drain the cooling system before you start. You must remove (and replace while your this far) the timing belt. To do this you have to remove the left front tire and the shields to access the front of the engine from below. Support the engine with a jack. Remove the serpentine belts and the motor mount on top. Remove the upper timing belt cover. Now the fun part. You have to remove the crankshaft screw while holding the crankshaft from turning. I fabricated a fixture to hold it by taking a piece of bar stock 1/4 x 2 x 24 and drilling holes for two carriage bolts and a hole in the center of them for a 1/2 inch socket extension (fits inside of the crank bolt instead of a socket on the outside). I had to grind some flats on the carriage bolts to allow them to fit inside of the crank pulley. I then wedged the bar to the ground and loosened the crank bolt. You will probable have to use a gear puller to remove the crank pulley. Once the pulley is off, remove the bottom timing cover. Loosen the timing tensioner bolt and use a screwdriver or something to push the tensioner down to relieve the tension on the timing belt. Tighten the tensioner bolt when you have the tension relieved. Slide the timing belt off. The water pump will be on your right. You will have to remove the small bracket above the alternator to remove the water pump. Remove the screws for the water pump and watch for the flow of antifreeze coming at you! Use a gasket adhesive or a small amount of gasket sealer to hold the new gasket in place. Follow the directions on replacing the timing belt for aligning the marks. As I write this I am trying to figure out this step. My crank sprocket does not have any marks on it for aligning with the block. I will have to find TDC on #1 to proceed. Hope this helps. Roughly a 3-4 hour job. Any questions reply to macandmaz@netzero.com Enjoy! You should set the engine to #1 TDC (Top Dead Centre) before you remove anything. The easiest way is to trace the #1 cylinder ignition wire back to the distributor, and note it's relative position. Remove the distributor cap and crank the engine over until the rotor (the piece in the center) is close to the noted position. Now there should be a small notch in the back lip of the crank pulley, rotate the engine by hand with a 1/2" ratchet clockwise (while looking at the pulley)until the notch lines up with the "TDC" mark, not the "10 BTDC". The notch on the front of the camshaft pulley should now line up with a small pointer that is cast into the head.