Replacing water pump 2000 Alero and replacing thermostat

SOURCE: need to replace the water pump on a 2000 oldsmobile alero 4cyl

If you have the 3.4L engine, easy, if you have the 2.4L HARD! Best left to a professional.

SOURCE: need to replace thermostat 2000 taurus

If it's the 3.0L Vulcan Engine (OHV), the thermostat is on the driver's side of the vehicle. Follow the upper radiator hose back to a metal area with three 10mm bolts. This is the thermostat housing. Undo the bolts, and there's the thermostat. Mark the back of it with the old thermostat in it (if you get one with a jiggle valve, it'll make it easier to put the new one in because the jiggle valve needs to be on top). The thermostat and housing aren't perfectly round, so you'll have to play with it a little to get it to line up. Make sure to change the gasket. The spring side of the thermostat goes into the engine.

The water pump is in the serpentine assembly. It's the larger pulley located toward the firewall. It'll be easiest to remove the water pump if you also remove the coolant recovery tank. The water pump pulley has four 1/2" bolts that you need to take out WITH THE BELT STILL ATTACHED. I can't stress this enough. The belt will keep the pulley in place so that you can remove the bolts. Take the pulley off, then the belt. Remove the heater hose at the top and the radiator hose at the bottom. There are 12 bolts of two diameters (1/2" and 10mm if I'm not mistaken). Tap the heater hose lightly with a soft-faced mallet to break the seal with the gasket. Trash the old gasket. Replace gasket (you can also line the mating surface of the water pump with RTV Sealant, put the new gasket on the new pump, and line the other side of gasket with a second coat of RTV sealant if you want a really good seal). Install the water pump and torque to manufacturer's specs. Attach the pulley to the water pump hand tight and put the belt back on. Tighten the pulley bolts. Put the coolant recovery tank back in place. Fill with coolant, start engine, bleed and check for leaks.

To bleed cooling system: Idle the engine until the thermostat opens (you'll be able to tell bacause the upper radiator hose will be uber hot and you'll feel coolant running through this hose). Squeeze all hoses in the system that you can reach, but don't burn yourself. Stop the engine and let it cool. Open the radiator cap and squeeze the COLD upper radiator hose. You'll see some bubbles in your recovery tank. You might have to monitor your coolant level for a couple of days while the final bits of air are purged through your radiator cap (that's why it's pressurized).

Hope this helps. It's not hard, but it took me quite awhile.

SOURCE: Is it necessary to remove the thermostat housing

in the upper radiator hose to the engine side of an elbow with 2 screws in there is the thermostat and water pump need to remove the fan belt clucht with the fan off the bottom hose that goes from the radiator to the pump to remove the screws remove the pump the pump clean the surface and install the new pump

SOURCE: 1999 Alero: I replace the head gaskets thermostat water pump n...

OK you have done the engine side of things. If you have an electric radiator cooling fan make sure it comes on when radiator is hot, if not the fan motor is caned or the thermostat switch is faulty. Sometimes the fan motor is supplied by a fused/relayed circuit in which case these items will also need to be checked. Check that not only does the top hose from the engine to radiator get hot but that the bottom one does too. If not this would indicate a blockage perhaps in the radiator core due to sludge. If full of sludge give both ends a flush out with a high pressure hose. Like wise do the same with the bottom hose back to the pump. If the water is circulating and the radiator fan is working then the normal cooling system is working as it should. f the engine is running hot one last thing is to find the EGR valve and check that it is opening as it should. If not the combustion temperatures go very high. One indicator of a hot engine is blue/glazed spark plugs so take one out and check it for signs of hot running. If hot then look to clean the EGR valve and associated exhaust gas feeder pipe with frayed cable, cloth and and carb cleaner spray.

SOURCE: 2000 chevy silverado 5.3 replaced the thermostat

Blow out the radiator core from the engine side with compressed air to get rid of bugs and other debris. Check the fan clutch if mechanical drive. If electric fan, make sure fan(s) come on when hot. You may have combustion products entering the cooling system. Check with auto parts supplier for test kit for same or check with a well equipped shop for a similar test. Make sure that both radiator hoses are not obstructed internally. Hope some of this helps!