Water Pump Removal: How to get past the Bottom Bracket?

FurryWrecker911

SCCoA Member
Replacing the water pump and thermostat while everything is apart. I got the dreaded power steering bracket out of the way and retired to the defunct pile, but I can't find any trace of people talking about how to get past the bottom bracket that the lower stud runs through. Am I supposed to use the age-old double-nut trick and pull the stud out, or do I pull the 3 topside studs out and use the little channel cutout in the bottom bracket to pull the pump? Or is there some third option I'm missing? Picture for reference.

As an aside, the oil cooler bypass is a pita to undo. Been chasing it with a flathead for a while. Tight quarters.

1628394823371.png
 
From 21-15-11 Factory Manual:
[image]

If you're working on #10, treat it like a bolt...double nut, or a stud puller (if one can get in there...something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/174816226555?hash=item28b3dbecfb:g:fu0AAOSw5gRg1pus

I'm working out of a similar manual, same graphic. Kinda figured that was the approach I'd need to take. You'd recommended a stud puller to me before in which I did the double nut trick, but I've done that so many times at this point I may as well order one. Thanks much!
 
Why are guys so ready to pitch parts instead of putting them back on (power steering bracket)? PIA sure, the engineers designed it that way so put it back the way it belongs:)
 
Why are guys so ready to pitch parts instead of putting them back on (power steering bracket)? PIA sure, the engineers designed it that way so put it back the way it belongs:)
I'm not tossing it completely. I'm just putting it in my spare parts bin in case I want to put it back on. Every water pump thread I'm on has folks (including forum staff) stating to retire the bracket once it's off. Nobody knows what it does. Some thoriezed it's for harsh noise or vibration dampning, but nobody has come forth to prove it yet. If I notice any anomalies I'll put it back on.
 
I'm not tossing it completely. I'm just putting it in my spare parts bin in case I want to put it back on. Every water pump thread I'm on has folks (including forum staff) stating to retire the bracket once it's off. Nobody knows what it does. Some thoriezed it's for harsh noise or vibration dampning, but nobody has come forth to prove it yet. If I notice any anomalies I'll put it back on.
Let us know if it makes any difference, I'm curious:)
 
If my memory serves me correct I think your supposed to pull the power steering pulley and you can unbolt the back from the power steering assembly once that's done you can pull the bracket off and that stud has a nut that acts as spacer as well
 
If my memory serves me correct I think your supposed to pull the power steering pulley and you can unbolt the back from the power steering assembly once that's done you can pull the bracket off and that stud has a nut that acts as spacer as well
Oh, I already got those 2 off. The one I was after was the harmonic balancer cover stud on the bottom of the water pump.

If you're working on #10, treat it like a bolt...double nut, or a stud puller
Update, bought stud pullers, ended up not needing them because:
1628472586415.png

I very much feel bamboozled.
The harmonic balancer cover gets nice and loose with the top nut off the stud I realized, so I pulled it forward which revealed a SECOND nut which was a part of the stud that in turn still held the pump on. It's hard to tell from my picture, but whoever was in here last before I got it snapped the plastic tab for the eyehole in two so you can bend it out of the way and get a deep socket wrench on there. Undid the stud, whole pump came off. Lotta coolant-cocaine came snowing out too.

I'm now debating if I want to pull the oil coolant bypass hose on the left and cut the pipe and get a longer rubber hose to make up the difference. The existing one has deterioration and chew marks from wedging it off, and it doesn't exactly play nice with the stud it runs past with how poor the mailability is with it being such a short section.

1628472750069.png1628472778552.png
 
I took that god forsaken bracket off my car when I did the water pump and I didn't put it back on. Been over 15 years that way no problems. I think they put it on there so the dealership mechanics could charge more labor to replace it. No need to pull the power steering pulley to do a water pump job now.

On one of my other SC's, someone took a grinder and cut the bracket in half so when I got the car the other half was still bolted to the power steering pump.
 
Also with that much corrosion even showing in the lower hose I would question the radiator to not be clogged up. I hope you replaced the lower hose at minimum.
 
I never had a balancer cover on mine didn't know I 2as supposed to until I read something on the forum and I was like yeeeeahh um that's not there lol but it's been fine for 3 years or so since I put the bhj on and learned there was a cover missing... But I agree with Mr Scott on the radiator it can't be in good shape if possible I'd flush the entire engine and try and get asuch crud outta there as possible
 
Also with that much corrosion even showing in the lower hose I would question the radiator to not be clogged up. I hope you replaced the lower hose at minimum.
Oh it has been bad juju the whole way through. Intake coolant channels full of powder, head coolant channels full of powder, hoses full of powder, the thermostat housing is choc-full of rust which collected in the pump... so on and so forth. I can't source a non-rusted thermostat housing anywhere, so I know I'm gonna need to hit it with CLR and hope it cleans up well enough.

If the scope creep could stop then that'd be great (lol), but you are right, I should at the least pull the lower hose and inspect it as thoroughly as I did with the upper one, and run some distilled water through the rad with the pipes off.

I'd flush the entire engine and try and get asuch crud outta there as possible
Yuuuup. It's getting triple flushed when I get it back together since it's been choc-full of corrosion. I'm going to follow the Chris Fix tutorial.
 
Just a suggestion, when you refill the system if you use Thermocure cooling system rust remover & flush it will clean out every trace of rust , lime and any other type of crap in your cooling system. No kidding, I've used it in a few cars that were full of just what you're looking at. Run the engine through a few heat cycles flush with water then fill with coolant. If you look into the radiator when you're finished it will shine inside, truly like new.
Do a search to find it most auto stores or I got it from Jegs or Summit , can't remember which, it costs about $25.00
 
Heres a video my son did a video (he was 15 at the time) using Thermocure on his Jeep:
Whats this balancer cover look like, anyone have a picture?
 
Wow that stuff looks like it worked good on his jeep. I'll have to run some of that through my old GMC that has brown muddy coolant.
 
Whats this balancer cover look like, anyone have a picture?
Scroll up to post number #8 where I have the water pump off. It's the black plastic barrel in between the driveshaft pulleys and the engine block. It has timing marks on it written in white. You can also see the tab on it I had to wedge past to get the last stud off the water pump. That stud runs right through that tab.
 
Any SCs with twin screw blowers that use an "A" frame brace for the snout also have to remove that bracket from the power steering pump. We couldn't get my power steering pulley off so we cut the bracket off using a cut off wheel. It's been off the car since about 2007 with no issues.Cut bracket.jpg
 
Thanks Dave, that things a pain any time you have to get in there for service. I'll do the same from now on.
 
Just a suggestion, when you refill the system if you use Thermocure cooling system rust remover & flush it will clean out every trace of rust , lime and any other type of crap in your cooling system. No kidding, I've used it in a few cars that were full of just what you're looking at. Run the engine through a few heat cycles flush with water then fill with coolant. If you look into the radiator when you're finished it will shine inside, truly like new.
Do a search to find it most auto stores or I got it from Jegs or Summit , can't remember which, it costs about $25.00
Hi, im thinking of using thermocure to flush out my cooling system. How has your experience with it been?
 
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