water pump scandal???

[DJRATEDR]

My Deville's water pump went out (2 hrs from home ... MD) and my cousin took it to the shop near his house. First of all, the mechanic tried to charge me $144 for the pump and 3 hrs. labor to put it in. According to posts here i see average labor time is 1-1.5 hrs. Talked to my mechanic here in PA and he quoted 1.3 hrs. and my cousin got the pump at advance auto for $57.

Now the mechanic says he can't get the pump out, broke his tool and that it appears as though someone air chiseled it in, so they refuse to do any further work on it because they're afraid of damaging the housing. They say they even tried to heat it up with a torch and it wouldn't budge. Is there any reason or probability someone would've/could've air chiseled a water pump in?

I found a housing on ebay for $25. Mechanic says there's about 4 hrs. labor involved in that (due to dismantling half the engine).

Does this sound right?

PS I think maybe I pissed them off by quoting my mechanic's estimate and them having to knock an hour off the labor AND costing them a WP tool??? I think they just gave up and wanted nothing to do with the car.

[JimD]

There are several things that might have gone wrong here, but the 1st thought that surfaces in my feeble mind is "someone" did not know the pump cartridge is removed with CW rotation.

Have someone with Northstar experience inspect the situation.

Air chisel sounds like smoke and mirrors.

[DJRATEDR]

I was thinking the same thing. Why would anyone have to air chisel a water pump in? He said something about the ears being bent, but I saw a pic of the water pump and there are no ears and how could you fit an air chisel down there anyway?

Now my cousin has to find another mechanic to lok at it. Any idea how much labor is actually involved if I need the housing replaced? I have a feeling they may have hosed it up. That's the problem with the car being in a whole other state ... can't even see what's going on with it.

PS Thanks for the quick reply.

[BodybyFisher]

I pulled mine in the driveway last month to replace the housing o-ring, it took me an hour or so maybe less, but I am a great mechanic, We have had some here have problems, I have heard some needing to use an impact wrench, but every time I pull it, an 18 inch breaker bar gets it right out without a sweat, there is not much holding it, as JIM noted, they must be thinking it is LEFTY LOOSY, RIGTHY TIGHTY, when in fact its RIGHTY LOOSY, Its a cake walk for us pedestrian mechanics

[DJRATEDR]

RIGHTY LOOSEY for the water pump - right? What about the whole housing itself - how much labor involed in that? I was told you have to remove the side of the engine (throttle body and all).

[BodybyFisher]

RIGHTY LOOSEY for the water pump - right? What about the whole housing itself - how much labor involed in that? I was told you have to remove the side of the engine (throttle body and all).

Yes Righty loosey for the water pump. The housing is incorporated with the CROSSOVER, its a BIACH to remove, I THINK that GM allows 6 hours and that is optimistic. I replaced my 4 crossover seals last year while I did my ISS speed sensor, its a hard job. You should NOT need to replace your crossover, they are probably trying to remove it in the wrong direction OR then are not using the WATER PUMP socket correctly, Mike

[Ranger]

I recall quite a while back that someone in fact did change the pump without the water pump socket and used a screwdriver and a hammer to put it in. Maybe some hack tried that and damaged the crossover. As Mike said, it is a BIG job to change.

When it does get stuck in place, a few short bursts from an impact will usually free it.

[Cadillac Jim]

From the dialogue I see here, the shade-tree mechanics may have tried to chisel the water pump off.