Done a fair amount of research here and in my manuals and it looks like I can remove the water pump driveshaft by just taking off the timing cover and removing the two torx bolts securing it to the block.

I'm going with an electric water pump and don't want to deal with the major PITA water pump seal ever again. (The engineer who came up with that one should have to remove and replace that seal once for everyone who has ever dealt with it!!).

Anyways will it come out without removing the intake as well?

Thanks.

 

youll also have to lower your oil pan to keep from rippping the pan gasket when you remove the timing cover and you also have to remove the cam sprocket to be able to tap out the w/p drive gear

 

i read it has to be tapped out from the intake side.

 

I wouldn't remove the intake manifold just to tap it out from the lifter valley. Take a big flathead scrwdriver and pry it off after you remove the cam sprcket and torq screws.

 

Thanks guys. FWIW I've already lowered the pan, knew that one from experience, after tearing a brand new pan gasket. I'm going to try the pry out method.

 

Thanks guys. FWIW I've already lowered the pan, knew that one from experience, after tearing a brand new pan gasket. I'm going to try the pry out method.

 

I may be wrong but I dont think you can get it out from the front. Its almost a pressed fit bearing. I had to tap mine in pretty hard from the front when I installed it. I dont think that there is enough play to pry it from side to side to get it out. But Its worth a shot...especially if it saves you from replaces another gasket

 

You can get it off from the front, I ended up using a small crow's foot pry-bar... although you do have to remove the timing chain to remove the WP drive gear.

 

I remember someone posting that they used a claw hammer to pry it out.

 

I read that about the claw hammer also. Good luck and let us know. I need to do the same. I'm wondering if you can pull the cam gear w/o pulling the crank gear at all, or if you need to pull it a little. Thats got to be so much fun, especially after pulling the hub.

 

Dan, yes you can pull the cam gear/sprocket without pulling the crank gear/sprocket.

 

First of all thanks to everyone that replied. As usual I find more help here than anywhere.

To update:

The driven shaft can be pried out fairly easily from the front. I actually used a nail removal tool that I had laying around the house. You pry it out by getting the tool behind the driven shaft backing plate which can be rotated once the torx bits are removed. I was able to take off the camshaft sprocket without removing the crankshaft sprocket first. My timing chain had a enough slack to get this done. I could see that it might be difficult if your timing chain didn't have any slack in it. The crankshaft sprocket required a three jaw puller. I got a 7/16-20 bolt from my local hardware retailer and drilled a small indentation in the head of the bolt that I used to "seat" the bolt in the three jaw puller. This way you can turn the puller bolt without it trying to come off of the head of the bolt. I put the bolt in the crank with a bunch of washers to ensure it wasn't bottoming out and the crankshaft sprocket came off pretty easily with this setup.

Again thanks for the help guys.

 

Very cool, and glad to hear it. I dont want to take the intake or the crank gear off if I dont have to. I dont understand why you removed the crank gear then, did you replace it?

 

I'm replacing the timing set with a tru-roller. One of the advantages of having an electric WP.

 

Now you see it.

Now you don't

Pretty painless project, used a slender pry to removed it.