bschelle Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 I have to change my water pump and searched the forum but I am still looking for any advice on what I should be aware of. Do's and dont's would be a big help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 I changed the water pump on my 91 a bunch of times. The biggest tip I could give you is to remove the four pulley bolts before you take off your serp belt, it helps you to hold the pulley. The only difficult part of this job is that there is not much room, just take your time to get at each bolt. Buy a new water pump not a rebuilt one, I think Napa sells new pumps. Its not hard, I once changed the water pump behind a hotel with borrowed tools Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschelle Posted December 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 I changed the water pump on my 91 a bunch of times. The biggest tip I could give you is to remove the four pulley bolts before you take off your serp belt, it helps you to hold the pulley. The only difficult part of this job is that there is not much room, just take your time to get at each bolt. Buy a new water pump not a rebuilt one, I think Napa sells new pumps. Its not hard, I once changed the water pump behind a hotel with borrowed tools Thanks for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hall Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Also, use an AC Delco water pump if you don't want to do again in 6 months. You will also need a set of torx bits to remove the water pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted December 15, 2008 Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 One more thing, when you install the pulley, just snug up the four pulley/fan nuts, then put the serp belt on and you will be able to tighten them up as the serp belt can be used to hold the pulley in place as you tighten. You will need to transfer the four studs from the old flange to the new flange sometimes. As Ed noted, buy a new pump, they last longer. I used to glue the gasket on the new pump with a tacky gasket cement lining up the holes carefully, let it set slightly then put the pump in place. A big part of the job is cleaning the mating surface on the engine, a real PITA given the lack of room. Buy a good scraper and I would not recommend the razor blade type of scraper. I have a scraper with carbon steel blades on it that I occasionally sharpen with a file or grinding wheel. There is not much room to get good leverage to scrape. ALWAYS disconnect the negative battery cable when working on the engine, where you can turn the crank for safety reasons, but in this instance you will have more room if you remove the battery. I have a better picture someplace, Ill see if I can find it tomorrow, it shows the bolt torque if I recall.. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschelle Posted December 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 It took me about 3 hours. I removed the rear idler pulley to get better access to the back bolts. I used a Craftsman rubber strap wrench to grab the pump pulley to loosen and tighten the 3 bolts and I removed the accumulator also. The pump was replaced by a garage about 3 years ago and the 2 rear 15mm bolts were finger tight. I pressure tested before doing the job and the pump was leaking out of the bottom and I guess it was coming from the weep hole. New pump is on and no leaks......except now I think the radiator is leaking!!! I will pressure test it again as soon as the sub-zero weather is over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hall Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 Good job!!! That's about how long it took me as well. You mentioned about how the 2 rear bolts were finger tight. The gaskets compress over time so you might want go back and retighten those bolts in several weeks. My radiator went bad on my Allante so I bought a new $120 radiator from RockAuto. It fit perfectly like OEM and I have not had any issues. I recommend going this route rather than repairing the old radiator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschelle Posted December 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 Good job!!! That's about how long it took me as well. You mentioned about how the 2 rear bolts were finger tight. The gaskets compress over time so you might want go back and retighten those bolts in several weeks. My radiator went bad on my Allante so I bought a new $120 radiator from RockAuto. It fit perfectly like OEM and I have not had any issues. I recommend going this route rather than repairing the old radiator. I dropped in 3 tabs of Gm radiator sealer and it hasn't lost any coolant in 2 days, so I might have bought a little time until I have to replace the radiator. I never travel more than 6 miles each way to work so I can take a chance for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 You said you removed the accumulator, did you depressurize the system or was it depressurized already due to a leaky system? Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschelle Posted December 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 You said you removed the accumulator, did you depressurize the system or was it depressurized already due to a leaky system? The system was already down. I think my compressor has a leak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 You said you removed the accumulator, did you depressurize the system or was it depressurized already due to a leaky system? The system was already down. I think my compressor has a leak. We have to get that running in the spring! Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschelle Posted December 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 You said you removed the accumulator, did you depressurize the system or was it depressurized already due to a leaky system? The system was already down. I think my compressor has a leak. We have to get that running in the spring! I know! I tried to find the leak using compressed air but no bubbling fittings anywhere so I am guessing it is the compressor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 Well if you are lucky you can replace the seal and the hub/coil while you are there and not have to mess with replacing it. Does it hold a charge at all? If you know an AC shop, when you have some throw away money ask the shop to evacuate it and see if it holds a vacuum. You want to eliminate the evaporator. Will it hold a charge for awhile? Maybe you can put dye in it and buy a test kit with the glasses and disclosing light. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 It took me about 3 hours. I removed the rear idler pulley to get better access to the back bolts. I used a Craftsman rubber strap wrench to grab the pump pulley to loosen and tighten the 3 bolts and I removed the accumulator also. The pump was replaced by a garage about 3 years ago and the 2 rear 15mm bolts were finger tight. I pressure tested before doing the job and the pump was leaking out of the bottom and I guess it was coming from the weep hole. New pump is on and no leaks......except now I think the radiator is leaking!!! I will pressure test it again as soon as the sub-zero weather is over. Good job. You could also use the serpentine belt instead of the rubber strap wrench if you increased the tension on the belt on the tensioner. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschelle Posted December 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 It took me about 3 hours. I removed the rear idler pulley to get better access to the back bolts. I used a Craftsman rubber strap wrench to grab the pump pulley to loosen and tighten the 3 bolts and I removed the accumulator also. The pump was replaced by a garage about 3 years ago and the 2 rear 15mm bolts were finger tight. I pressure tested before doing the job and the pump was leaking out of the bottom and I guess it was coming from the weep hole. New pump is on and no leaks......except now I think the radiator is leaking!!! I will pressure test it again as soon as the sub-zero weather is over. Good job. You could also use the serpentine belt instead of the rubber strap wrench if you increased the tension on the belt on the tensioner. Due to all of the mess from the leak, I tried it with just the tensioner but it wouldn't hold and kept slipping. The AC holds a charge for a few hours and that is all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 It took me about 3 hours. I removed the rear idler pulley to get better access to the back bolts. I used a Craftsman rubber strap wrench to grab the pump pulley to loosen and tighten the 3 bolts and I removed the accumulator also. The pump was replaced by a garage about 3 years ago and the 2 rear 15mm bolts were finger tight. I pressure tested before doing the job and the pump was leaking out of the bottom and I guess it was coming from the weep hole. New pump is on and no leaks......except now I think the radiator is leaking!!! I will pressure test it again as soon as the sub-zero weather is over. Good job. You could also use the serpentine belt instead of the rubber strap wrench if you increased the tension on the belt on the tensioner. Due to all of the mess from the leak, I tried it with just the tensioner but it wouldn't hold and kept slipping. The AC holds a charge for a few hours and that is all. That should be an easy leak to find, the only problem is, it could be expensive to charge and then lose the freon, to 'see' the leak from the dye. I will try to direct KHE here to see if he has any ideas as to how you would find that leak. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 The A/C leak is huge - Inspect all the A/C components for oily residue. Pay close attention to the condenser and the compressor clutch face. Dependin g on your location, it might make sense to repair the A/C in the spring since it is best to vacuum the system down when the ambient temperature is 70 or greater. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 The A/C leak is huge - Inspect all the A/C components for oily residue. Pay close attention to the condenser and the compressor clutch face. Dependin g on your location, it might make sense to repair the A/C in the spring since it is best to vacuum the system down when the ambient temperature is 70 or greater. Thanks Kevin! Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschelle Posted December 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 The A/C leak is huge - Inspect all the A/C components for oily residue. Pay close attention to the condenser and the compressor clutch face. Dependin g on your location, it might make sense to repair the A/C in the spring since it is best to vacuum the system down when the ambient temperature is 70 or greater. Thanks Kevin! Yeh, thanks! It will be a spring time project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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