Nissan Repair: nissan serena water pump, engine damper, competent mechanic

Question
ithink the water pump is leaking on my serena,does the water pump run off the timing belt,thinking of doing the repair myself but am in the dark a little as no manual to work off.

thanks for any help

Answer
Hi John -

You are correct. The water pump does run off your timing belt. It is quite cumbersome to get to, as you have to remove the drive belts and pulleys, as well as the engine damper, which is where all the belts are driven at the bottom of the engine. Removing the damper is quite challenging, sometimes needing a special puller. Once you get all that off, the timing belt cover is removed and you can access the pump. you ay also have to remove the engine mount.

A word of caution, if you are attempting to do this yourself, make sure that prior to removing the belt, you have the engine at TDC, you a reference can be made when re-installing. Otherwise your car will not start.

In addition, while you have the timing belt off, change it as well.

Also check the thermostat, as an overheated engine can cause water pump failure.

On a scale on one to ten, this would be 7 on the tech scale, so a manual would be advisable, or just take it to a competent mechanic.

Let me know if you need further assistance.
calvin