decent mechanic

[Spastik89]

hey people, my old man has an 87 alfa romeo sprint 5 speed twin webbers the norm.
the gasket/ the water pump has gone needs to get it fixed any ideas??

[Barry Edmunds]

Replacing a waterpump is not usually the most difficult task to for anyone used to tackling minor jobs on Alfas. If he has got the tools and a workshop manual it should be easy.

Why not give him a Father's Day present and do it for him yourself?

Getting a new waterpump on a Saturday AM may well be your hardest task.

There are a number of very good Alfa workshops available. Depends on where you are located.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Replacing a waterpump is not usually the most difficult task to for anyone used to tackling minor jobs on Alfas. If he has got the tools and a workshop manual it should be easy.

Easy?  Can you come and change the water pump on my boxer next time it needs doing Barry?  This is one of the most dreaded jobs on a boxer, it's easily an entire-weekend job if it's your first time.  I think it took me about 2 weeks.

While you're there Spastik89, you need to take the belts off, so fit new ones unless they've been replaced very recently.

[jazzi]

Heya

You need a properly Alfa Romeo trained mechanic to sort out your baby. Hard to find but I'm sure there are people out there who will know where you can (mine is in Canberra). It's cheaper in the long-run!

Cheers
Jus

[Andrew Bose]

Hi Jazzi,

I have done a couple and they are not as hard as Sheldon makes out but if you get the cam timing wrong it can cause bent valves. Send me a PM if you need any advice or help.

Andrew

[AlfaACT]

Spastik89,

When I did my 33, at only about 160Kkm, the pump body was siezed in place. I had to drill the pump body sufficiently to allow it to crumple to get it out! I had been warned about this problem before I started, so it may be common.

So I'm with Barry, its "not usually the most difficult task" and Sheldon too in that it can be "one of the most dreaded jobs on a boxer".

It certainly can take a lot of time and patience - especially if you do it with the engine in place!
If you take the engine out first, its probably a lot easier as you have more space.

Otherwise, you need to remove the radiator. Removing the radiator grille will help too. That just gives you access. You will also need to remove the LHS cam belt - at least. (The one on the right when viewing from the front of the car!) But I would remove both and replace them with NEW belts - as Sheldon suggested. I would also recommend that unless they have been replaced recently you should also consider replacing the cam belt tensioners. Now the fun part - replacing the cam belt tensioners can be a very frustrating exercise (*) which makes the whole job one you would want to allow the whole weekend to do! (* see my separate post on this ;-)

Everything is doable if you have a moderate degree of mechanical competance, but allow a bit of time - and if you strike difficulties, BE PATIENT, you will succeed.

Good luck,
Peter.

[colcol]

Re waterpump, to make waterpump removal less difficult, remove the bonnet, grille, radiator, alternator, LHS cambelt cover and turn engine to TDC, remove LHS cam belt, remove the 4, 6mm bolts that hold the water pump in, remove the 3,  6mm bolts that hold the waterpump pulley on, then get a rawhide deadblow mallet and tap the nose of the waterpump, but not so hard that you break it, tap it all the way round, then if it won't come loose, spray WD 40 all around the bolt holes and waterpump to block face, and try tapping again, if it still won't budge try heating up the engine block around the waterpump with a heatgun, as used for stripping paint, then if no success, try spraying with WD 40 and leaving for a few hours to let penetrate, if all this fails you will have to "MONGREL" it out, that is use excessive force, best of luck, Colin.

[jayarr]

Long time ago had a 33. Used to leave the rear mount attached, take out the radiator, undo the top engine mount, then undo the four bolts for the front crossmember, then gently lower the front of the engine.

This would give enough room to get to the front of the engine, changes belts and water pump, without needing to undo drive shafts, electricals etc. Can someone with recent experience confirm?

Agree the water pump can be a cow to replace if frozen in place by corrosion.

Cheers, John

[colcol]

Re waterpump, they can be a real cow to replace, when all nice and new and corrosion free, the waterpump is a tap in fit in the block, but if the cooling system is corroded due to neglect, then the aluminium waterpump is installed into a cast iron block, being different metals, electrollolis causes the 2 metals to corrode, electrollolis being electric currents running between 2 different metals depositing corrosion on both surfaces, a mechanic once told me that if a cooling system has lots of corosion but the coolant is up to spec, corrosion can be caused by a bad earth wire on the motor, and rather than the currents run thru the earth wire, the current runs to earth thru the cooling system in the engine, as for dropping the engine down at the front, i think you would also have to remove the extractors as well as they may crack, i have bad memories of this job, the first time i removed the engine\gearbox from a Sud i had removed everything and still the engine wouldn't drop down, i had the engine on a block and tackle, on closer inspection i hadn't removed the speedo cable, strong little tacker, can support the whole engine!, and when the engine went back in the speedo still worked!, Colin.