Water pump and Fan belt

[Alistair]

I have recently bought a 2 litre saloon and have some essential maintenance items which are causing me a problem which I am sure you experienced forum members can help me with.
   My water pump has failed and I will replace it.  However despite removing the retaining nuts I cannot separate it from the block - presumably it has not been removed for many years and the two studs which locate it on the block have corroded into the body of the pump and prevent me levering it off.  I have applied penetrating oil and used as much leverage as possible but it is solid - any good ideas?
   Second, although the basic handbook says that the four small bolts holding the fan can be loosened to provide adjustment for the fanbelt this seems not to be the case on my car. How do I adjust something to create some slack to remove/replace the fan belt?  And wouldn't such an adjustment make the fan's motion eccentric??
   Thanks in advance

[Robin A Woolmer]

A gentle amount of heat on the inlet casing to the block might be enough to reduce the corrosion hold around the studs, but be careful , cannot advise on belt adjustment, if it is difficult to take off Cut it in two , you have little clearance at the bottom of the pulley adjacent to the cross member anyway & belts are not expensive & probably need replacing!
   I would fit a Fenner segmented belt on so you can fit the belt to the crank pulley & join it up above, that will make maintenance easier later!
   
   Robin

[musicman]

it might be to obvious but there are four nuts holding the pump to the block, two nuts at the entry of water to the block and two nuts lower down on the pump body. As Robin says gentle heat helps plus use a socket bar pulling gently between the pump and the block, this normally does the trick

[Alistair]

Thanks for your advice.
   
   It is the two studs which pass through the pump which are corroded into the pump and won't allow it to be removed.  I have tried heat and a crowbar down the back but no joy.  Now I have taken out the radiator and the fan etc so that I can lever it from the front but it won't shift.  Have also tried to remove the two studs by putting a locknut on the exposed part but that won't work either.  The guts of the water pump have been replaced in the past, and the bearings have broken down now, but I don't think the body of the pump has ever been off the block.
   
   Final choice is to smash the casting because I will need a new pump anyway.  Before that drastic step I will keep using penetrating oil and the crowbar.  Plenty of other jobs to do on the car while the oil seeps into the tiny gaps.
   
   Thanks for fan belt advice and yes I found the elongated slots in the fan bracket which allow adjustment of fan belt tension.

[GSouthee]

Been there, done that and swore a lot but got it off in the end. I used gentle heat, well maybe not so gentle and then some freeze release spray costs about £6, it is penetrating oil come freezing liquid, heat up round studs then spray directly on and it cracks the seal (eventually). I also had to release the engine mounting bolts, easy and jack front of engine up a bit to get fan belt off (if you have a vee belt or replacing it with one) or do as Ron says use a fenner belt.
   
   Good luck
   
   G

[B.P.Bird]

Alistair,
   I have not had a specific water pump problem, such as you describe, but of course the same difficulty arises where any steel stud passes through alloy. In the Weller engine the scariest example is found with the head mounting studs in the block.
   For what my tuppence ha'penny is worth here are some suggestions:
   1) In this application penetrating oil doesn't penetrate. Degrease and then use Phosphoric Acid and water 50/50. Coca Cola works nearly as well, which might give you a clue as to whether or not to put it in your body. For best results you need to get the area immersed. Not easy, but I have built small baths out of Plasticine to keep studs soaking.
   2) Heat is a great help, but there is such a large heat sink around in the form of the block that gentle heat is a waste of time. The trick is to get the steel stud really hot without damaging the alloy: Put sacrificial nuts on the end of the studs. Do not take them right down against the alloy. Heat the nuts to red hot with a very narrow flame, being cautious not to damage the alloy. I doubt any thing less than oxy acetylene will achieve this because of the heat sink effect. Keep the nuts red hot for several minutes to allow the heat to work its way down the stud.
   3) Now apply a steady pressure behind the pump housing with a suitable bar. Do not be a gorilla, the alloy can be cracked. Whilst applying the leverage take a hard mallet and give the sacrificial nuts a smart blow in the opposite direction to your leverage.
   If you have no joy at this stage apply as much profanity as you can think of and then repeat steps 2) and 3)
   If by the end of the day there is still no result go and sleep on the problem leaving step 1) in place. Refreshed and renewed in the morn carry out step 2) and 3) again.
   This sequence can be repeated until you succeed or until you lose your rag completely and drill the studs out. You will also be in a position to get some stainless steel or manganese bronze studs made so that the problem cannot arise again.
   You will succeed.

[Alistair]

Thanks to all of you for the range of advice.
   
   All sorted now - heat, cold, locknuts, jemmy, hammer, profanity:  brilliant combination!
   
   Hoping that the next ten jobs on my list don't need the same level of commitment (or help from this forum).
   
   But I have a suspicion that I will be back with more questions...
   
   thanks!