I decided sometime in 1994 to start working on my own cars. I enjoy the work. It's a type of therapy. It allows me to do something with my hands other than dial a phone. ...And I can swear and no one will hear me.Yesterday I tackled the water pump. The power steering pump went out all of a sudden and I had suffered long enough with a weak water pump so I decided to go for a "two-fer". I could invest a day and $150 or pay Pep Boys $500 and not worry about it. "Which would you prefer...?"
I elected the do-it-yourself approach. I don't take that much time off and besides it was a Thursday I probably wouldn't have made $350 so I decided to save it instead. I realize that a mechanical engineer of most auto designs was never a mechanic. Knowing how to draw it up and build it does not necessarily mean you can repair it. I cussed these engineers all day long. I wanted them to figure it out. I wanted them to be there busting their knuckles and bruising their forearms and experiencing those "wtf" moments with me. All of you ass-pocket mechanics and my sons will understand what I'm talking about.
Here is a picture of the water pump I replaced. What you don't see is the alternator, power-steering pump, pump-bracket, coolant reservoir, 3 pulleys and a serpentine belt the size of a hula-hoop I removed to get to this. The picture makes it look like a cake-walk; other than the 12, yes 12 bolts that hold on the water pump. The water-pump gasket instructions say, "clean old gasket material off mounting flange to assure good seal." Sounds simple enough. An hour of scraping with a razor blade, chisel and grinding with a wire brush disc on my drill assured the "good seal". I wanted to take the designer of this car and the writer of those instruction and spend an hour grinding their butts flat with a razor, a chisel and a wire brush on a drill to assure a good seal to the STUPID CHAIR!
End of day...Water Pump replaced. Power Steering pump replaced. Car works fine. Saved $350 and got the day off work and off the phone. ArrrArrrArrrr...... I proved once again I am a manly man!
