Do it yourself attempt to fix squealing fan belts and suspected bad bearing on water pump. Engine is a 454 Chevy 7.5 liter big block. Removing the radiator to get to the front of the engine. Project is underway and after about 16 hours under the hood, the radiator is out. The fun part, however, has just begun!
Let us know how it goes!
Here's some pictures of the steps I've taken so far to remove everything that I could from the front of the engine in order to gain clear access to the water pump and the pulleys. Here's the list: A/C compressor, heater hoses, alternator, fan shroud, fan and clutch, Oil cooler and AC cores attached to front of the radiator, the metal frame that holds the radiator, and finally, the radiator itself- all removed at this point. Took about 16 hours total as I scratched my head at each step and figured it out. Wanted to quite about 5 times but I was able, in the end to do it. Was not easy.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Success! Clear access. Now for the fun part! Trying to get the water pump removed. Stay tuned....
Water pump is out. I can barely spin the shaft by hand. Clearly the reason for the squealing belts etc... Had to wrestle with the bolts that hold down the power steering pump and the bracket to adjust the tension for the PS pump belt. Eventually figured it out.
Water pump
Lots of oil smeared around from what appears to be a leak near the front of the engine. I have zero experience here. Anyone know where all this oil is likely coming from? Timing chain cover? Something else. Tips appreciated....
Excellent! Great photo documentation.
:) :)ThmbUp
Why am I not seeing any pictures?
I have reported this to the moderator. I think the photos need to be approved before they will display and they have not yet been approved. RC
All the photos were approved. They should be visible.
OK. So I'm trying to replace any and all parts that ought to be replaced while I have the radiator out. For instance, small things, like the thermostat and temperature sensors. However, I'm confused by what I'm seeing and could use some help identifying which is what. So- here are some more pictures! Any help is appreciated. RC
I now know, thanks to a little research, that I'm looking at 2 "ported vacuum switches". The struggle is real.... lol
Oh well, I guess the pics don't work on this site. I was curious how big this job is.
Cadillac: It's big. I've put it off for several years but when the water pump completely froze, it became essential. Getting the radiator removed is the hardest part. I have both front tires off the rig and I had to remove the metal wheel well shroud covering access to the engine on the drivers side to get to the bolts holding down the radiator frame. Takes a huge amount of time and effort. But- it can be done! Of course I'm only half way through. Time will tell if I can get everything back together again, properly. Also, you will spend a lot of time on the internet reading posts to guide you. PS: I can see the pictures when I access the site. Can't explain why you cannot. If someone else viewing these posts can/cannot see the pics, could you please say say so? Thanks, RC
Ahhh that's the tip I wasn't getting. I know you can't reach much through the hood or through the doghouse. The trick is to go in from the wheel well. I am scared I might have to do this on the road sometime. I just hope I get some kind of warning and can get it closer to home or close to a parts store.
I am using firefox and was thinking about trying Chrome to see if the pics will load. It will have to be another day because I am leaving in the morning. :D
I was just leaving the site and I got a message in red just as I was clicking so I didn't get to read it. Then the pics showed up, wahoo.
That is a pretty tough job. Hopefully in an emergency I could get that water pump out without removing the radiator. I could be wrong and it is nice to have full access to the front.
I have a question. Your engine compartment looks a lot like my 86 Itasca. Do you have any idea what that electrical isolater thing is that is mounted above the alternator? It looks just like the battery isolator in the battery compartment. I can't find any voltage on it anywhere and can't figure out what it does.
Cadillac: Here's a pic of what I have on my rig. Is this what you mean? I can't tell you exactly what it is or what it does. Maybe someone else reading this can chime in. I will do a little research. Thanks. RC
It's a battery isolator or constant duty battery solenoid. All the old RVs have them. Most were located in the side battery compartment where the coach batteries are located.
It regulates voltage from the alternator to charge the engine and coach batteries. It can also allow the coach batteries to be used to assist starting when the chassis battery is low or dead, if you have a MOM switch.
Wiring diagrams for these configurations can be found here, if needed.
A great explanation of it is here, and there's plenty more topics on it as well.
https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php?topic=1250.msg1285#msg1285
New water pump installed. (3rd try to get it right) Pump came with only one threaded metal heater hose connector. I had to buy the second one, separately. Since I'm cutting out the AC compressor, I removed the bracket that holds it to the engine block, leaving extra room for adjusting belts in the future. WARNING: anyone thinking about replacing the water pump from over the top of the engine without removing the radiator should think again! I have the radiator out and have direct access to the front of the engine and it's still challenging to remove and replace all the bolts that hold the water and power steering pumps to the engine block. Can't imagine doing it without the space needed to move stuff around. Frankly, I think it would be impossible. Plus, with the radiator removed, I can clean and fix a ton of stuff that I can't get to otherwise. Hoses, fuel pump. thermostat, etc....
:)clap great job, I am about to replace my water pump radiator intact. ???
Quote from: Eyez Open on September 26, 2021, 04:04 PM
:)clap great job, I am about to replace my water pump radiator intact. ???
That sounds very interesting. I hope you start your own thread on that procedure and show us how it's done. I would like to think it could be done but I'm not so sure.
Eyez: Let me know if you run into anything that i can help you with. Just finishing up, myself. So far so good. RC
Quote from: mechmanrick on September 17, 2021, 10:45 AM
Cadillac: It's big. I've put it off for several years but when the water pump completely froze, it became essential. Getting the radiator removed is the hardest part. I have both front tires off the rig and I had to remove the metal wheel well shroud covering access to the engine on the drivers side to get to the bolts holding down the radiator frame. Takes a huge amount of time and effort. But- it can be done! Of course I'm only half way through. Time will tell if I can get everything back together again, properly. Also, you will spend a lot of time on the internet reading posts to guide you. PS: I can see the pictures when I access the site. Can't explain why you cannot. If someone else viewing these posts can/cannot see the pics, could you please say say so? Thanks, RC
why taking out the radiator to change the waterpump?
The last time I changed the water pump I just remove the shroud and - remove the fan blade - and took the pump out (working from above and below) Radiator stayed in.
Quote from: Eyez Open on September 26, 2021, 04:04 PM
:)clap great job, I am about to replace my water pump radiator intact. ???
I did that two years ago. Never in my dream I thought about removing the radiator.
Was tight as heck and lots of $@!#@! $@!#@! $@!#@! $@!#@!
The hardest part was getting the fan shroud out through the doghouse and the fan clutch of.
It is easy for me to understand both points of view. Frankly it is all about the brain damage one is willing to go thru and make no mistake it is brain damage. Having a full set of tool's is a basic, perhaps some stretching exercises and a very well lit work area. One thing ive found working on a RV is to build a platform to lay over the dog house, laying on the engine is not healthy. Three 2x6's and a 1/2" cap works nicely in my case...and frequent timeout's... it reminds me why i hated some aspects of GM engineering and the patience require to win...Ive just replaced the master cylinder, that was really a lot of work and different angles to get it all done. LMAO that little master cylinder is braced up enough to withstand a nuclear explosion and to make it worse someone used blue loctite to ensure there work on all the mounting bolts...Such is Life. :D
eXodus: To each his own, I guess. I see you have a 350, not the 454 that I have. Maybe there's more space to work on yours. All I know is that as much trouble as it was to remove the radiator, I still think it's less work than trying to remove the water pump and the brackets for the power steering pump and the one for the A/C compressor and the thermostat housing and the 2 hoses that come off the pump- all from above.
Eyes: I test drove my rig yesterday. Now I have a loud whine from the power steering pump. I'm hoping I just lost fluid during the change-over. But with my luck I will be soon changing out the pump. It is 35 years old after all. I will be looking for your project description for advice. RC
Quote from: mechmanrick on September 29, 2021, 07:30 PM
eXodus: To each his own, I guess. I see you have a 350, not the 454 that I have. Maybe there's more space to work on yours. All I know is that as much trouble as it was to remove the radiator, I still think it's less work than trying to remove the water pump and the brackets for the power steering pump and the one for the A/C compressor and the thermostat housing and the 2 hoses that come off the pump- all from above.
I didn't say it was easy - I had a 1996 Brave before and did the waterpump on that 454.
Just said that I wasn't even thinking about removing the radiator. This option didn't occur to me. Sorry if that came out the wrong way. Didn't wanted to critique your method.
It's doable from above and below.
Basically at your Step 4 - I started unbolting the parts from the front of the engine (primary laying underneath), where you started removing the radiator.
On the 350 it's super easy - there is so much space in front of the engine. You only need to unbolt the 4 bolts from the pump. It came out with the fan still attached lol.
Quote
Eyes: I test drove my rig yesterday. Now I have a loud whine from the power steering pump. I'm hoping I just lost fluid during the change-over. But with my luck I will be soon changing out the pump. It is 35 years old after all. I will be looking for your project description for advice. RC
Actually, I think you have done a bang-up job, as to your PS pump, and if it's a hydro-boost system any air in the lines needs to be bleed. Hydroboost is a different animal to me, I've never seen it before. I have done some reading and have come to learn bleeding out the system is not easy and quite different. There are a few well-written threads on this site that will take you thru the process.
Each person's journey is a bit different in regards to rehabbing an old piece of equipment, in my case the first order of business was the engine/transmission. After stripping off the pollution system air pump included.... then changing the engine tune it became apparent the valves were sticking. So off goes valve covers which means off goes the A/C pump. In the end, the engine is now up to speed&healthly, at the same time I now have a clear shot and good view of the pump. With the fan off the area is quite spacious actually, the only speed bump I can see is dismounting the PS pump. Perhaps I should post a picture for a good visual.
Right now I am finishing up brakes and bearings, that was quite a lot of work. My old calipers literally would not go back on so I just replaced them with new rebuilds...next are the tag axles. Hopefully they will be more cooperative, which I anticipate they will not be. I'm sure the old shoes are junk and from I understand they are no longer made...A bridge I will cross before Friday. Perhaps next week I will address the cooling system if my body can recover by then, throwing around the tires/rims is hard on this old man but I am getting close to being done.
Eyes: Sounds like you are taking big bites out of the mechanical rehabilitation of your unit. I think that a low fluid level is the problem with my power steering unit. Will know soon but I got diverted by the fuel pump this week. The old one was original equipment, making it over 35 years old. So I replaced it. Went pretty smooth but still a lot of work (on my old knees) and a lot of time. I've been getting a backfire and an engine stumble once the engine warms up and I try to accelerate. I'm hoping it's the pump, but I doubt it. Still, I had to eliminate it as a suspect before moving on to other possibilities. I see you have already been down the road on a lot of the things that I need to repair or check. I will be watching you! RC
Quote from: mechmanrick on October 07, 2021, 10:53 PMI've been getting a backfire and an engine stumble once the engine warms up and I try to accelerate. I'm hoping it's the pump, but I doubt it. Still, I had to eliminate it as a suspect before moving on to other possibilities.
Although our rig is a Dodge, I was having the same problem on acceleration. Cured the problem by adjusting the accelerator pump to deliver more fuel.
Fourtantley time is on my side. At any given time I have 3 projects going on at one time. Right now I am about to engage in a new tankless water heater, address the water pump/timing chain and address the old aged pinstripes. When one job gets to be overwhelming I simply bounce to another project. It keeps me sane.
As to your backfire/fuelsystem/timing issues i too have been there done that. Looking back is easy, I wish I had just pulled the air conditioner, then removed the valve covers. Then adjusted the valves,then cleaned All the contacts in the HEI cap and the unit its self. Heat wrapped the fuel line,cutoff the emission system set the initial timing to 10 degrees btdc...Ohh replace all the rubber fuel lines,and the two inline fuel filters.
Then again if someone would have told me to do as much I may well have said...have a good day See Ya!
Below all one ever wanted to know about hydro boost and steering....Maybe to much does come to mind.
https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,9126.0.html
On some years the water pump, clutch fan can be removed from below by removing a metal plate such as this guy did...
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f65/what-did-you-do-to-your-old-rv-today-133779-444.html#post5713099