Triumph Repair: replacing 80 TRIUMPH TR7 , water pump, sheet metal screw, water pump impeller

Question
Howard !I have '80 Triumph TR7 Convertible , 5 speed ,and I have big impossible problem ? taking OFF the defected water pump .Is there way ? to take out the old defected water pump ? because ! I try many things , and it is NOT loosening up . Spray plenty of ;rust braking spray  but ! no positive result .I decoded to tow the vehicle to a mechanic shop ! but , I don't know ? if they know how to do it . Any suggestions ?? Appreciated , any rapid help.
Thanks , in advance !
Tony R.

Answer
Hi Tony,

I am guessing that you have the water pump cover off. Then you see the water pump impeller with a bolt in the top holding the impeller on to the pump shaft. That bolt is a LEFT hand thread so it unscrews by turning it clockwise. You need a "Slide Hammer" and attach the left handed threaded bolt to the Slide Hammer. If your slide hammer does not have an attachment to put a bolt into, you will need to fabricate a piece of metal so as to use the left threaded bolt to hold the slide hammer to the pump shaft.

My regular slide hammer had an attachment to put a sheet metal screw into but it was not large enough to put the water pump bolt into. I didn't want to make an attachment to put a bolt in and I did a lot of TR-7 water pump work so rather then make an attachment, I made a simple slide hammer just for the TR-7's.

I took a 2 foot piece of 1/2 inch iron water pipe that is threaded on both ends. And a short piece of 1 inch water pipe about 8 inches long. I got two end caps for the 1/2 inch pipe and I drilled the center of one of the caps so I could put the left threaded bolt through the hole and into the shaft of the water pump. I slid the short piece of 1 inch pipe over the 1/2 in pipe and screwed the 1/2 in pipe into the end cap that is now bolted down on to the water pump shaft. Then I screwed the other end cap on the 1/2 in pipe and used the 1 in pipe as the slider to bump up and thus it pulls the water pump out of the block.

On the older pumps the large brass sleve comes up with the pump but as I remember on the later models there was no brass sleve so only the pump comes up and out.

I purchased all the parts to make the TR-7 slide hammer at a hardware store and they were very inexpensive. And the only thing I had to do is drill the one end cap for the water pump bolt.

Howard