95 GL water pump & timing belt adventure begins!

[John Howard]

1995 GL Water Pump & Timing Belt Adventure Begins!

Today I put my '95 GL 2.0/ATX with 181,000 miles on wooden blocks and pulled the wheel, inner shroud, and upper timing belt cover. Tomorrow I'll pour in some coolant to verify where it's leaking. But since it's been squealing intermittently for some time, plus the water pump pulley looks cockeyed and there were new funny noises when it started steaming, I strongly suspect a blown water pump.

My biggest worry right now is getting the crankshaft bolt off. I don't have an impact wrench. Book says remove starter and jam ring gear but starter removal looks difficult. Somebody posted they removed a cover between motor and ATX and accessed ring gear that way. I think I see the cover guy was referring to. I may go that route if possible.

I'm going to take this slow and easy so what would take you guys a few hours may take me a few weeks, lol. I tried to get my 1988 Chevy Nova Twin Cam running but it's been sitting so long with old gas it won't start. I still have a running motorcycle though. Otherwise I'll have to bum a ride from my neighbor.

Aren't car problems fun? Luckily it's not the dead of winter. Thanks!

 

[John Howard]

I was pretty sure my problem is a bad water pump, but today I verified it. Poured some fresh coolant into the reservoir and it began leaking out of the water pump weep hole PDQ. Good thing because I already ordered a new timing belt kit and water pump. Scored an OEM water pump for $50. Last timing belt and idler pulley change was at 122,000 miles ($370) long before I got the car. Water pump wasn't changed at that time. Go figure. Original pump lasted until 182,000 miles. Not bad.

My biggest worry so far has been locking the engine in place to remove the crankshaft bolt. But apparently that's less of an issue with a powered impact wrench. That sometimes it comes off without locking the engine. I should be so lucky, lol.

I'm looking at the HF Bauer 20 volt 1/2" impact driver with a claimed 650 ft lbs max torque. I've been thinking all along about getting an impact wrench and this is a perfect excuse. Anybody used a Bauer to remove the Contour crankshaft bolt? Did you lock the engine in place (ATX) or did the bolt just come out?

Thanks!

 

[svtavino]

It zipped right off. You don't need to hold anything. I think my impact has less torque.

 

[John Howard]

It zipped right off. You don't need to hold anything. I think my impact has less torque.

Cool. Mine should be just as easy. Hope so. What did you use for retorquing the crankshaft bolt? A hand torque wrench or did the impact wrench do that job too? Did you need to hold or jam the engine when tightening the crankshaft bolt? Thanks.

I ended up ordering the Hyper Tough 20 volt impact wrench from Walmart and not the Bauer. Torque Test channel ran a comparison test between Milwaukee, DeWalt, Hyper Tough and Bauer 1/2" impact wrenches and the Hyper Tough was right up there with the Milwaukee and DeWalt performance wise with the Bauer lagging behind. The Hyper Tough was the best price too.

 

[John Howard]

Yesterday my Walmart impact wrench came and today I broke the crankshaft bolt free. I did find an old USA made screwdriver that fit into the ring gear teeth nicely behind the inspection plate. Then I found a length of old black pipe that I screwed into a flange base. I used that with a piece of board on the ground to hold the ring gear screwdriver in place. That held it nice and tight. First I tested the impact wrench on the lug nuts of my old junk Tempo just to get the feel of it. Then I used it with an 18mm impact socket on the Contour crankshaft bolt. It came free lickety split! Lots better than using an a breaker bar with pipe extensions and goaning and straining like I did when changing my rear struts praying not to break something. Next up: timing belt and water pump!