The water pump on my daughter,s 1.2 Nova 'banger' has just gone.I have managed to avoid playing with cars in recent times as I buy new ones.But I do have reasonable experience of working on most aspects of car repair.
Can any BR's advise me of any pitfalls I should know about before embarking on changing the pump? Is it relatively straight forward?
Does anyone know of a cheap supply of Vauxhall parts or will the main dealer be as 'cheap' as anyone else?
Thanks
HectorG
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Use Dealer parts, they're cheap as chips.
Fit a new cambelt upon reassembly. The only pitfalls I can see are rounding of the pump retaining hex bolts if they have been 'attacked' before.
Just ensure the hex key (or socket) you use seats fully into the hex head of the bolt.
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IIRC, there's no separate belt tensioner fitted to this engine - the belt is tensioned by rotating the waterpump, so therefore make sure you give the 'o'-ring seal a liberal coating of silicon grease on re-assembly so that you can turn it easier and to also not damage the seal when you do so.
You *might* have to give the old water pump a hefty clout to shift it. They sometimes have a tendancy to adhere themselves to the engine block with corrosion. A squirt of plus gas and a lump of wood usually shifts the stubborn ones.
A Haynes manual will also guide you along.
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Thinking about this further, how old is the Nova?
Does it have the old 1.2 litre pushrod engine, or the overhead cam engine. If it\'s the pushrod engine then it\'s an absolute doddle to change and no cambelt to worry about. Just undo the alternator belt, unbolt the old water pump [1] and bolt on the new one [2].
[1] after draining off some coolant.
[2] refil with coolant.
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Thanks DL & DD.
In reply to Dave - unfortunately the engine is ohc.Will it be a pig?
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Hector,
Shouldn't be too difficult. Remember to rotate the engine a few times by hand to double check the cam timing marks are still spot on. Belt tension - grab the belt in the middle of the top and bottom pulley (the longest belt distance) and you shouldn't be able to twist the belt further than 90 degrees without considerable effort. Too loose and it will chatter/clatter when cold, too tight and it will humm.
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The 1.2 Nova was always overhead cam. The only pushrod engine fitted to Novas was the 1.0
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Ah yes. Sorry I was thinking of the 1.2 that was fitted in the Mk1 Astra.
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