The week after fixing the ball joint I decided to tackle the water pump... why the water pump you ask...
Last October, when I finally had this truck up and running, I installed a new water pump. However, after installing the pump, the plug in the top that needed to be removed in order to allow a heater hose fitting to be installed wouldn't budge. I even broke out the cordless Snap On impact for the task. Instead of the plug turning, the impact spun the bit in the plug...
As I didn't plan to drive the truck much through the winter i rolled on sans heater hoses... The pump came with a lifetime warranty so now was the time to remove and replace...
On my day off I grabbed my trusty impact and off to the parts house I went. Grabbing a new pump off the shelf, I immediately put the impact to work... The plug backed out without hesitation...
Back home I pulled the old pump and installed the new one...
As you can see in the pic, the heater hose fitting is in place...
Untitled by
Donald Olivo, on Flickr
Just about now I should've been
but Murphy's law, not Michael's, came into play...
I stepped away once I had everything buttoned up, with the exception of two fan shroud bolts, and upon my return I was greeted by a runaway gasket...
The gasket from the right hand side of the pump apparently came loose as I attempted to start the bolts... It landed behind the bottom radiator hose, which obstructed my view, and remained there until I reached for a screwdriver that had fallen off the passenger side fender. I retrieved the tool and stood, leaning into the engine bay to check the tightness of the lower hose...Right there, staring at me, was the elusive gasket...
Following a few choice words, in Portuguese, I recaptured the gasket and closed the hood... Done for the day...