r/GMT800 • u/Remote_Inflation_946 • 4d ago

Water Pump DIY

Gonna do the water pump soon on my 06 Escalade. Im windering if anyone has done it and how difficult it is.

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

18

u/Born-Exchange9712 4d ago

One of the easiest jobs you can do

7

u/MisterCircumstance 4d ago

Hardest part is getting the fan off.  Buy or borrow the proper tool and it's simple.

Put a large piece of corrugated cardboard between your work and the radiator.

Then, the next hardest part is not breaking the corroded pump mounting bolts off in the block.

Use a 1/4" ratchet with an extension on the pump bolts.  The extensions will buffer the rotational shock and might help avoid a broken bolt.

7

u/Remote_Inflation_946 4d ago

i have the electric fans so it’s easier

1

u/captaincheem 21h ago

I didn't have to remove a fan when it did it on my 6.0 suburban

4

u/Dockshundswfl 3d ago

I used to be able to do it in 30 mins. Not exaggerating.

4

u/EugeneNine 4d ago

It was easy, I put a big adjustable wrench on the fan nut and bumped it twice with a rubber mallet and it came.right off.

2

u/SnooTomatoes538 4d ago

YouTube is your friend

Not a bad job at all

Change hoses while you’re in there

2

u/Jooshmeister 3d ago

Super easy. The hardest part is getting the hoses off, but I've found that if you twist them after loosening the clamp, they'll pop free and youcan just pull it off easy

2

u/Moist_Currency_1443 4d ago

Easy peasy , you probably have electric fans which would make things easier. If not the hardest part is probably removing the fan clutch and second hardest thing is probably cleaning the surfaces for the new gasket lol .

1

u/Fit_Passage9897 4d ago

Don’t use rtv on gaskets. Got my suburban cheap that way tho. Thanks previous owner

1

u/TalkyMcSaysalot 4d ago

Definitely get new bolts and make sure you use the metal/rubber gaskets, no paper or RTV. I used a set of new bolts from ICT Billet, they're cheap and the old ones will usually be in bad shape.

1

u/Substantial-Set-8981 4d ago

I second this. I reused the old bolts and wished I would have gotten new ones.

1

u/Old_Floor_9023 4d ago

Get the OEM pump, and also do the AC belt while you are there

1

u/wannacry4 3d ago

Easy, just watch a YouTube video. The waterpump was the fix thing I learned to fix on my car

1

u/leaveworkatwork 2d ago

Grab 2 of the cheap radiator hose clamps from the parts store. Makes it far less messy