QuestionCould you give me directions on how to change the water pump on a 97 town and country with a 3.8 liter engine.
AnswerHi Sam,
I got a similar question about 3 weeks ago so here is how I responded:
"You could have a leak at the o-ring and at the pulley shaft seal. The five screws are supposed to be torqued to 105 inch-pounds so you could perhaps close the o-ring leak and then see if it is still leaking from the shaft. If you have to replace the pump here are the steps:
Drain the cooling system
Remove the drive belt (rotate tensioner clockwise to relieve tension, it is positioned between the power steering pump and the crank pulley)
Remove right front lower fender splash shield
Remove pump pulley bolts and remove pulley
Remove pump screws, remove pump
Remove and discard o-ring
Clean o-ring groove and o-ring surfaces on pump and chain case cover surfaces. Take care not to scratch or guage surfaces.
Install new o-ring into groove
Install pump to chain cover case. Torque screws to 105 inch-pounds
Rotate pump by hand to check freedom of movement
Position pulley on pump, torque screws to 250 inch-pounds
Install drive belt
Install right lower fender shield
Refill cooling system
Good luck on the pump diagnosis and repair. At least it is external and you don't have to remove the timing belt to change it."
You may not have an o-ring leak so ignore that first part. But the rest lists the steps for the exchange. Please let me know if there is a detail that I overlooked.
Roland
PS Here are a couple of more tips from Wil Morgan-
Give the pump a tap with a hammer and it will come off.Clean the surface.The new pump will come with a new seal.You might want to use a gasket spray to hold the seal in place.Tighten the bolts in a star pattern.When you fill the radiator,do not fill it all the way or else it will spit it out when it burps.Wait until the vehicle is at operating temperature before you top off the the radiator.
