How to Seal a Car Water Pump

The water pump in your car is an essential piece of equipment used to force excess and built-up heat out of your car's engine to prevent overheating, corrosion and rust. However, if it lacks a proper seal, it won't work right, and it might even precipitate a larger-scale breakdown of your car's cooling system, so you should perform regular checks to ensure that it is sealed properly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Two drain pans
• Two pump seals
• Oil
• Coolant

1. Find seals through one of the auto-part websites listed at AutoGuide.net (see Resources below).

2. Begin when your car's engine and cooling system are both cool. The first step is to drain all the oil out of your car's engine. Collect the oil in a drain pan, so you can reuse it later.

3. Remove your car's fuel tank, so you can access the radiator if your engine is mounted in such a way that the radiator is buried beneath the fuel tank. This is not necessary for all vehicles.

4. Drain all the coolant out of your car and into a second drain pan.

5. Locate the pump seals and loosen them by hand or with a rod. Use a screwdriver only if it's absolutely necessary, as you might scratch the surfaces of your pump seals if you're not extremely careful.

6. Make a mental or written note of the direction each seal is facing before you remove it. You'll have to orient the replacement seals in an identical fashion to ensure your water pump works correctly once you're finished.

7. Remove the seals you want to replace and set them aside.

8. Align the replacement seals in an identical orientation to the old ones, referring to the note you made earlier. With most engines, the spring side of the inner water pump seal faces the engine, and the spring side of the outer water pump seal faces the impeller.

9. Protect the water pump seal springs from rust and corrosion by lubricating them with a little oil before you fasten them into place.

10. Refill your car's cooling system with coolant or antifreeze. It's fine to reuse the coolant you drained earlier if it still has some life left. If not, be sure to dispose of it properly and in accordance with your state's hazardous-waste guidelines.

11. Reattach your car's fuel tank if you had to remove it in order to access the water pump seals.

12. Refill your car with oil. Make sure that you have appropriate levels of both oil and coolant in your car before you drive it again.

Tips & Warnings

• If your car came with a manufacturer's tool kit, every tool you'll need to seal the water pump should be included.
• It can be tricky to seal a water pump. Leave the job to a professional unless you have the utmost confidence in your mechanical abilities.

Resources

• Auto-part suppliers at AutoGuide.net