shawnb20

Okay I have a 3.4L 94 camaro and I am trying to install a water pump. I have drained the radiator have the car on jack stands and have the belt and intake off. I can see the waterpump but the steering pump thing is in the way. The question is do I have to remove the pulley from the steering pump first to get it out of the way to uninstall the old water pump? Also I have the torque specifications for the pump but I have no way of measuring it when I put it back on, how important is it or can I just tighten each bolt up and pray for the best ? Thanks for the help!!!

shawnb20

okay i have the steering pump bracket off and now im trying to remove the waterpump pulley but it keeps spinning while im trying to loosen the bolts, how can I get the bolts loose? and any other suggestions after doing so? may I add that it was a pain in the rear end removing the steering bracket!!! I had to take off the coil packs which were also a pain in the butt.... bahh

Ichoptop

put the car in gear and hit the bolt with an air-impact. Once loose, do not take the bolt completely out. Work the pully and bolt off with a puller.

Ichoptop

Matt_Ky

Just out of curiousity and since my girlfriend owns a 1994 V6 Camaro, how come you did not loosen the water pump pulley bolts before taking off the
serpentine belt? ie , leave tension on water pump so it would not spin while loosening pulley bolts.

Why is a puller needed?

Lastly, are you sure the power steering pump bracket has to be removed? I was looking at her car and was thinking I could replace the water pump w/o removing any accessories.

Thanks

shawnb20

A puller is needed to take off the steering pump pulley... I assume leaving the belt on would be easier when trying to remove the waterpump pulley but I can't remember if the belt is in the way (this was awhile ago when I did this install) and yes the steering pump bracket has to be removed, maybe it looks like you can do it without removing the bracket but you can't, It has to come off. The install actually wasn't that bad just took some time to complete because you have to remove so much ****, just be sure to have lots of tools handy, your deffiently going to need some good socket extentions ecspecially for removing the coil packs.

Matt_Ky

Thanks Shawn. I just did a water pump install on my 3rdgen Camaro (Geesh only 60K miles) and leaving the serpentine belt on allowed enough tension to remove water pump pulley bolts. No other accessories had to be removed, however, a thin-walled socket with thin diameter extension and just the right length had to be used on the lower driver's side bolt, otherwise, the power steering pump has to be removed.

I guess I did not look close enough on the 1994 Camaro because it looked like nothing was in the way of the water pump.

Would you mind elaborating a little more on the "coil packs" and difficulty of removing them. Where are they located, etc.

Lastly, I have rented some tools from Autozone before occassionally, do they have the puller needed to remove power steering pump pulley from a 1994 Camaro?

Her '94 Camaro has 103K on the clock and I anticipate the water pump will take a dump any time now.

Thanks
Matt

Edited: BTW, I called a Chevy dealer and was quoted a price of $216 for a new GM water pump for a 1994 V6 Camaro ($95 for a new AC Delco for my 1991 Camaro). Do you guys know a source for better prices on a GM water pump or even a good aftermarket water pump? ie, Stewart, Edelbrock, etc.

shawnb20

why would you pay that much for a water pump for a car that has that many miles.... Just goto advanced auto parts and buy a remanufactured pump for $15 .... Also they do have the puller needed, if you buy it it costs around $20-25 if I remember right, it's pretty easy to use you should get it off in a matter of minutes. The coil packs are right above the steering pump bracket just right of the fuel plenonium. They are numberd like 1-3, 2-5, 4-6 (thats not exact but just an example) It was a pain to get the little bolts off that are holding the coil packs in on the far side. You will need a very thin socket extentions and try going at it from under the fuel plenonium (much easier). Just tinker around with it you will get it.... also I sugges you take some masking tape and use a sharpie to write the # of the wire on the tape and wrap it around that wire before removing it from the coil pack just so you don't get the wires mixed up and have timing issues. Once again this is a pretty simple install, first time it takes some time so be prepare for an allnighter once you replace the pump.

Matt_Ky

Playing the devils advocate, why would you buy a cheap reman water pump only to run the risk of replacing it a year later? As you said, "be prepared for an all nighter...", so why would I
want to worry about going through the hazzle of
replacing a water pump all the time, especially on a daily driver! Besides that, she plans to keep the car and eventually replace engine with GM crate engine.

I rarely buy reman parts. Only if a "one-off" part
and a water pump is not a one-off part. Depends on the function of the part and what could result if the part takes a dump.

my 02

shawnb20

the reman pump i bought has a 5 year warranty.... $15 for the pump without a core $10 with a core.... you can't beat that with a bat man.

Matt_Ky

True, as long as the water pump doesn't take a dump every 6 months! I could care less about the warranty if I'm under the hood all the time.

Perfecto

I just did my water pump. You dont need to pull off the steering pump pully. Once you remove the pump the whole thing moves together out off you way. Off course after you play with the coil packs. Getting them on is alot worse though.


And Shawn to remove your water pump pully use two wrenchs on two of the four bolts and then turn one will break lose first and thn repeat until the last bolt then put a screw driver in one off the bolt holes to hold the pully and loosen the last bolt. In revearse to put them back on.

Matt_Ky

Perfecto,
Could you elaborate more on the difficulty of the coil packs? What did you guys pay for a new pump?
My girlfriends car is exactly the car you have, Black 1994 3.4L A4.
Thanks

Perfecto

Well three bolts with nuts hold the coil pack assembly to a plate on the steering fluid pump. They are under the plate. The first two are easy but the last one in the back is a motha, mainly to put on but to take off is kinda hard two. To take off just use a wrench and some patience. Try not to lose the nut when you get it loose. They are small. Anyway once you get them off the coil packs can be lifted up out of your way so you can reach the bolts to the steering fluid pump behind the coil packs. After that its pretty easy. Putting it to gether get frusterating. To put the back nut on the coil packs, use a box end wrech big enough to spin the nut in and then line the nut up with the bolt and spin the nut to get it started be careful as to not drop the nut. Go slow. After that tighten them up. Not super tight just snug enough that it wont come loose.