The water pump on the Mazda Protege 5 circulates coolant through the engine to prevent overheating. A loud squealing noise coming from the pump means the bearing is bad and you need to replace it. This repair is not difficult, but it takes about two hours to complete because of the other parts you need to remove to access the pump. Although there are multiple engines for the Mazda, the Protege 5 has the 2.0L engine in the base model.
Starting with a cool engine, place a drain pan under the Mazda radiator. Open the valve on the radiator using a wrench and drain the engine coolant into the drain pan. If you keep the coolant clean, you can use it again when the project is complete. Place the coolant out of reach of children and animals.
Loosen the terminal nut on the negative battery cable using a wrench and pull it off the battery. This prevents accidental shorting of any of the electrical components on the Mazda. Place a set of wheel chocks behind the rear wheels of the Protege. Lift the front of the car using a jack placed under the frame.
Place a jack stand under the car near the jacking point and raise it to the frame. Lower the automobile jack just enough to rest the car on the stand. Place an automobile jack and a 2-foot board under the engine. Raise the jack high enough to support the engine. Remove the front motor mount using a socket and ratchet.
Remove the timing belt cover using a socket and ratchet to loosen the retaining bolts. Turn the crankshaft clockwise using a wrench until the timing marks on the sprocket and oil pump line up. Remove the lock bolt from the crankshaft pulley using a socket and ratchet.
Place a camshaft sprocket tool between the camshaft sprockets to hold them in place. Raise the car high enough to remove the jack stand, then lower the vehicle to the ground. Loosen the lock bolt on the tensioner pulley using a socket and ratchet.
Pull the tensioner away from the center of the engine to loosen the tension on the timing belt. Mark with the marking crayon the position and direction of the timing belt if you are going to reuse it. Pull the timing belt from the engine. Remove the adjusting bolt from the power steering pump using a socket and ratchet.
Remove the mounting bolts from the water pump using a socket and ratchet. Pull the pump away from the engine block. Thoroughly clean the block surface using a scraper to remove the old gasket material. Place a new gasket on the engine block along with the new water pump. Install the water pump bolts and torque them to 14 to 18 foot-pounds using a torque wrench.
Install the power steering adjusting bolt and torque it to 12 to 16 foot-pounds. Install the timing belt, lining up the marks so it is going in the proper direction if you are using the old belt again. Remove the camshaft sprocket holder from the car. Rotate the assembly two complete revolutions, then check to make sure the marks still properly align.
Check the tensioner spring for proper length, which should be 1.44 inches, with the tape measure. Pull the belt tensioner into place and tighten it using a socket and ratchet. Rotate the camshafts using a wrench for two complete revolutions and check that the timing marks properly align. Raise the car using via the jack. Place the jack stand under the car near the jacking point and raise it to the frame.
Lower the jack enough to allow the car to rest on the stand. Remove the steel rod from between the crankshaft sprockets and install the lock bolt for the crankshaft pulley. Torque the bolt to 108 to 116 foot-pounds using the torque wrench. Place the timing belt cover on the engine and tighten the bolts using a socket and ratchet.
Raise the Protege high enough with the jack to remove the jack stand from under the car. Slowly lower the vehicle to the ground. Make sure the valve on the bottom of the radiator is closed. Refill the cooling system with coolant. Connect the negative terminal to the battery and tighten the nut with a wrench.
Start the Mazda Protege engine and allow it to reach normal operating temperature. Thoroughly check the engine for leaks.
