Water Pump Replacement

2001 Saab 9-5 Aero 2.3L 4cyl 90k miles

Overall this job was not too bad. I am a newbie DIYer so take the directions with a grain of salt
and ask any clarifying questions. The pictures are designed as an overview of the process and in
addition to the instructions from the cars proprietary software.

The pump failure was due to a bad bearing, but this will also help identify leaks and replace any
O-rings. The pump also ate through the timing chain cover.

Picture A
2001 Saab 9-5 Aero 2.3L 4cyl 90k miles

Picture 1
1. Support car and engine. Removed front passenger wheel.
2. Removed left hand engine mount and bracket as pictured here.
Picture 2

Removed the front components (steps 11-15). Similar to a sump cleaning.

Picture 3

Removal of Mass air flow sensor and air hose.

Picture 4
Turbo intake pipe on right. Removed all hoses.

Picture 5
The quick-release coupling. Use special tool.

Picture 6
My make shift special tool.
Picture 7
Covered the turbo inlet with a bag and rubber band. Some have used a glove. *Note the two black
pipes to the left of the turbo are the ‘longitudinal coolant lines’. They look like a ’Y’ You can see
the bolt you need to take out to loosen the lines from the coolant pump.

Picture 8
Steering pump was set a side. You can remove it to have more room, but I decided not to.
Steps 22 -26 (Getting the coolant pipe ready for removal)

Picture 9

Getting the clamps off the hoses was a task. This is where having the power steering pump re-
moved would help a lot. It takes some effort, but they eventually came off. The U-shaped hose
can be put back on the coolant pump before you install it later to save some frustration.

Picture 10
*Removed coolant lines mentioned in picture 7. The second bolt to free these lines is over to the
right of the headers. (Blue Arrow)
Steps 22 -26 (Getting the coolant pipe ready for removal)

Picture 11

Coolant line that leads to the Banjo bolt under the coolant pump. Kind of tough to reach and very
little wrench room.

Picture 12

Step 25 says to ‘slacken bolt’ on cooling line under turbo. I broke two socket wrenches trying to
undo this bolt. I could never get it loose, so I left it alone and it didn’t get in the way.
Steps 22 -26 (Getting the coolant pipe ready for removal)

Picture 13

Remove bolts from coolant/water pump. This is the back of the pump, but you can see the three
bolts. The bottom one is the only trouble. Took some maneuvering, but eventually got it out.

Picture 14

Removed the coolant pump and here is a good picture of the pump wearing its way into the tim-
ing chain cover. A good lesson to change your pump before it breaks. Patched it with JB marine
weld. Hopefully it holds. Let it sit overnight to cure.
Assembling The Pump (Clockwise from top left)
What the instructions didn’t help me with was assembling the coolant pump. Since it was my first time doing this and
being a newbie I made some mistakes, but my philosophy was put it back the way I found it. I found some bearings
in the engine bay so I determined that was the cause of the failure. There were no leaks.

Picture 15
Dirty coolant pump. Cleaned it with brake cleaner I had from my sump project. Unscrewed the bolts to take it apart.

Picture 16
Back of pump.

Picture 17
Looks like the front side wore into the back of the coolant pump. It still looked functional so I sanded it down and re-
used it. You can see the build up where the gasket goes so I scrubbed this off to ensure a good seal for the new gas-
ket.

Picture 18 w/ Rebuilding Notes - Open for discussion

I used both a gasket and sealant when putting the water pump back together. I found out the gasket would have been
fine by itself, but the pump had sealant when I took it apart so ‘I put it back the way I found it.’ I would seek advice
on this if you are going to DIY as I still don’t know for certain. I ensured a good seal and put bolts back in an alter-
nating pattern. I forget to get a picture of the finished pump.
Assembling The Pump (Clockwise from top left)
What the instructions didn’t help me with was assembling the coolant pump. Since it was my first time doing this and
being a newbie I made some mistakes, but my philosophy was put it back the way I found it. I found some bearings
in the engine bay so I determined that was the cause of the failure. There were no leaks.

Picture 19 & 20
There was a lot of silicone sealant on the coolant pump. Probably to fix a leak (bad O-ring?). There was also a
washer on top of the smaller O-ring. I am not sure if the washer is part of the original design, but I did reuse it with
the new O-ring (smaller). Bottom line I made sure the coolant line fit well and had a good seal.

Picture 21
The blue arrow is the connecting piece that connects the coolant pump to the engine. This is where your two large O-
rings can be changed out with new ones. The instructions call for Kontakt 61 (I used a standard corrosion inhibitor)
when refitting and Gleitmo 805 (I used a white lightning lubricant) for the O-rings.

Summary
All back together and no leaks. I was very surprised. Good overall experience. We’ll see how long it lasts.