How to Remove a Water Pump on a Dodge Dakota

by Chris Moore

red truck engine image by Christopher Nolan from Fotolia.com

The water pump sends engine coolant into the engine of your Dodge Dakota pickup. There can be a number of reasons for removing the pump: It may need inspecting or replacing, or you might just need to remove it to access another component in the engine. Whatever the reason is, the exact method of removal can differ depending the year of the truck and the type of engine it contains.

Step 1

Disconnect the Dakota's negative battery cable and isolate it so it cannot inadvertently come in contact with the battery's negative post.

Step 2

Drain the cooling system: Connect a piece of hose to the radiator drain fitting, open the drain fitting (you may need pliers) and drain the coolant into a large container. Repeat this for the drain fitting at the engine block.

Step 3

Detach the cooling fan and shroud by disconnecting the upper radiator hose, removing the fan's mounting fasteners and pulling the shroud upward to detach it from its clips.

Step 4

Remove the engine drive belt by loosening the belt tensioner and slipping the belt off. The tensioner may have a square hole for a breaker bar or ratchet, or a bolt that requires a wrench.

Step 5

Unbolt the alternator and air conditioner compressor with a wrench (don't disconnect the compressor's refrigerant lines). Position them out of the way and remove the support bracket for these parts. This is required only on many Dakotas that have Hemi engines.

Step 6

Disconnect the heater and radiator hoses from the water pump by loosening their hose clamps with a screwdriver. Grasp and twist a hose with adjustable pliers if it is stuck.

Step 7

Remove the mounting bolts for the water pump with a wrench, and remove the pump. Take note of where each bolt goes--they will be of different lengths--to ensure they go in the correct places during installation.

References

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