I know I have to remove the motor mount to get the water pump off the engine, but does anyone know if I also have to remove that huge belt tensioner bracket on the left side of the engine? It looks very tight there, but my GM book does not mention that it has to be removed. And removing it is a major pain.
Thanks

I asked the same question when I set out to replace the water pump on my '93 SSEi...I couldn't believe that GM designed the accessory bracket to cover one bolt (or was it 2?) on the water pump...but they did. The accessory bracket doesn't have to come completely off, but if it isn't removed it has to be loosened enough to be moved out of the way.

It took me about 5 1/2 hours to replace mine, and I dread the idea of ever having to do it again. A mechanic at the dealership said that the supercharged series 1 engine takes 5 to 6 hours and is one of the most difficult water pumps to replace on a GM vehicle. Cool, huh?

Good luck with yours, and when you remove the heater lines, make sure that you replace the o-ring or yours may leak soon afterwards, like mine did.

You are not making me very happy !!!! I already have the new o-rings ready to go. How did you support the engine?

Good info to know. My mechanic will be getting mine for the waterpump if it'* that bad.

I didn't mean to scare you; I was just sharing my experience.

I used a regular floor jack and put a 1' piece of a 2x8 between the jack and the pan.

I didn't use any air tools, and it was a new experience for me, so it probably took me a little longer that it would take for an expert mechanic to do. It wasn't terribly difficult, but it was time consuming, and figuring out how to move the accessory bracket out of the way was challenging. As I recall, my factory shop manual didn't mention having to remove the accessory bracket either.

Similar procedure:

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/techinfo/?article=48

Ok I did the job last week. And yes it was a pain. Once I figured out how to separate the power steering pump from the bracket, I was all set there. The engine mount is a pain too, there isn't much room to remove it, it is a puzzle.

One problem I had is that the heater pipe that goes into the timing chain cover broke off at the o-ring. Pretty near impossible to remove the piece because you can only see it with a mirror.

I ended up cleaning it as good as I could, and I coated it with that special permatex water pump silicone and slapped it into place. So far so good, no leaks. I guess that silicone is as good as an o-ring if things are clean and you get a good amount all the way around. Plus the heater pipe is bolted down so it can't move.

I am getting some oil leaking around the oil filter adapter (not a new problem). I was told by someone that this could be coming from the timing cover to block gasket. If I knew what I know now, I would have just taken off the cover and did the chain and the whole works while I was in there. If anyone has a clue about oil leaking in that area, please give me your comments.