How to Replace a Kawasaki 3010 Mule Water Pump

Park the Mule on a level work surface and set the parking brake. Pull the rear wheel off of the wheel hub. Unlock the cargo bed, using the release lever under the front right corner of the bed, then lift it into a fully-raised position. Let the engine cool for two hours.

Lift the Mule's rear wheels off of the ground, using a hydraulic jack. Lower the Mule's chassis onto a pair of jack stands. Remove the left rear wheel lug nuts, using a breaker bar and a socket.

Move the jack below the left side of the axle carrier bracket. Place the jack saddle under the bottom of the axle carrier bracket, then apply a slight amount of upward pressure to relieve the left rear shock absorber of the Mule's weight. Unbolt the shock absorber from the Mule's chassis and the axle carrier, using a ratchet and a socket. Slowly lower the jack and roll it away.

Loosen the clamps securing the torque converter air cleaner housing to the torque converter cover in the left side of the engine, and to the auxiliary air duct connected to the Mule's lower frame rail, using a flat-head screwdriver. Unbolt the air cleaner housing bracket, using a ratchet, then pull the air cleaner off of the torque converter.

Remove the bolts securing the muffler to the exhaust pipes, using a ratchet. Unbolt the muffler from the Mule's chassis, using a ratchet. Remove the heat shield from the top of the front exhaust pipe, using a Phillips screwdriver, then unbolt the front and rear exhaust pipes from the engine with a ratchet.

Unscrew the bolts from the perimeter of the torque converter cover, using a ratchet. Pull the cover and gasket off of the engine by hand. Remove all three bolts from the cooling fan cover from the drive pulley, the pulley closest to the front of the engine, using a ratchet. Pull the cover off of the pulley.

Have an assistant shift the Mule into first gear. Loosen the nut at the center of the drive pulley and the driven -- rear -- pulley, using a breaker bar and a socket. Push the rear portion of the driven pulley away from you to loosen the drive belt. Slip the drive belt off of the driven pulley, then the drive pulley. Shift the Mule into neutral.

Unscrew the drive and driven pulley nuts by hand. Remove both pulleys, using a puller bolt (Kawasaki part no. 57001-1429) and a strap wrench. Unbolt the rear torque converter case from the engine, using a ratchet, to reveal the water pump.

Unscrew the filler cap from the coolant reservoir tank, located on the right side of the radiator at the front of the engine. Pull the coolant reservoir hose off of the spigot below the radiator cap, located left side of the engine. Immediately place the hose in a drain pan and let the antifreeze drain from the reserve reservoir. Push the hose back over the radiator spigot. Turn the radiator cap counterclockwise until it stops, then push the cap down and continue to turn the cap until it can be removed from the radiator.

Move the drain pan under the front engine cylinder. Remove the drain bolt from base of the cylinder, using a ratchet. Let the antifreeze drain from the cylinder, then screw the bolt into place by hand. Move the drain pan under the rear cylinder and remove the drain bolt from the base of the cylinder with a ratchet. Tighten both drain bolts to 12 foot-pounds, once the antifreeze has drained.

Unbolt the skid plate protecting the front final gear case, located under the front of the Mule, using a ratchet. Unscrew the drain bolts from the coolant pipes on both sides of the gear case, using a ratchet. Drain the antifreeze from the pipes, then tighten the drain bolts to 12 foot-pounds. Re-install the skid plate and tighten the bolts to 22 foot-pounds.

Loosen the clamps attaching the coolant hoses to the front and rear of the water pump housing, using a flat-head screwdriver. Pull the hoses off of the cover spigots. Unbolt the cover with a ratchet and pull it away from the water pump housing. Remove the single bolt from the lower right corner of the water pump housing with a ratchet. Pull the water pump housing and the attached drive gear and impeller off of the engine by hand.

Flip the water pump housing over and place it on a clean work surface, facing the drive gear on the rear of the housing up. Slide the drive gear off of the impeller shaft by hand. Push the lock pin out from the shaft, using a punch, then pull the lock washer off of the shaft.

Flip the water pump housing over and pull out the impeller and impeller shaft. Slide the impeller off of the drive gear-end of the shaft. Push the remaining lock pin out of the shaft, then remove the O-ring from the channel cut into the shaft under the impeller's mounting point with a pick. Inspect the drive gear, impeller and impeller shaft for signs of damage, such as cracks, scoring or pitting. Replace any damaged parts.

Pull the mechanical seat out from the impeller-side of the water pump housing. Drive the oil seal out of the housing with a seal driver. Inspect the water pump housing for stress fractures or other physical damage that could allow antifreeze to leak. Replace the water pump housing, if it is damaged in any way.

Coat a new oil seal and mechanical seal with glycol ethylene antifreeze. Drive the oil seal into the water pump housing, then push the mechanical seal into place.

Coat a new O-ring and the impeller shaft with antifreeze. Slip the O-ring into the channel cut into the impeller-side of the shaft. Push a lock pin into the hole in front of the O-ring. Slide the impeller onto the shaft and over the O-ring. Rotate the impeller until the lock pin fits into the notches cut into the front of the impeller. Push the impeller shaft into the water pump housing.

Slide a new lock washer over the drive gear-end of the impeller shaft. Align the washer's tab with the notch cut into the water pump housing. Push the remaining lock pin into the hole in front of the lock washer. Slide the drive gear over the shaft, then rotate the gear until the lock pin fits into the notches cut into the gear.

Mount the water pump housing onto the engine and tighten the single bolt to 18 foot-pounds. Re-install the water pump cover and tighten the cover bolts to 78 inch-pounds. Push the coolant hoses onto the water pump spigots and tighten the hose clamps.

Re-install the torque converter rear case onto the engine. Tighten the case bolts to 7.6 foot-pounds. Push the driven pulley over the transmission shaft and the drive pulley over the crankshaft. Loosely screw the pulley bolts into place. Hold the pulleys in place with a strap wrench, then tighten the drive pulley bolt to 56 foot-pounds and the driven pulley bolt to 69 foot-pounds. Slip the drive belt over both pulleys. Re-install the cooling fan cover over the drive pulley and tighten the cover bolts to 78 inch-pounds. Turn the driven pulley by hand to tighten the drive belt. Re-install the torque converter cover and gasket, then tighten the cover bolts to 13 inch-pounds.

Push the air cleaner housing onto the torque converter cover air duct and tighten the clamp. Push the auxiliary air duct over the spigot on the side of the air cleaner housing and tighten the clamp.

Mount the muffler onto the Mule's chassis and tighten its mounting bolts by hand. Re-install the front and rear exhaust pipes onto the engine and loosely tighten the mounting bolts by hand. Loosely tighten the bolts securing the exhaust pipes to the muffler. Re-position the exhaust pipes and muffler until everything is aligned. Tighten the exhaust pipe-to-engine bolts, followed by the exhaust pipe-to-muffler bolts, to 78 inch-pounds. Tighten the muffler mounting bolts to 22 foot-pounds.

Lift the left side of the rear axle carrier bracket slightly with a hydraulic jack. Re-install the left rear shock absorber. Tighten the upper and lower mounting nuts to 43 foot-pounds. Remove the jack and slide the left rear wheel onto the rear wheel hub. Screw the wheel lug nuts into place by hand, then tighten the nuts to 101 foot-pounds.

Loosen the bleeder bolts from the front cylinder coolant pipe, running along the left side of the cylinder, and at the upper left side of the front cylinder head, using a ratchet.

Pour a 50/50 ethylene glycol antifreeze and distilled water mixture into the radiator filler neck, using a funnel. Fill the radiator slowly to expel air through the bleeder holes. Tighten the bleeder bolts as soon as antifreeze begins to seep out from the bleeder bolts. Screw the radiator cap into place. Fill the coolant reservoir tank with the antifreeze and water mixture to the Full mark imprinted into the side of the tank.

Remove the Mule from the jack stands. Start the engine and let it idle in place. Watch the reservoir tank for bubbles rising in the antifreeze. Stop the engine when no more bubbles are released. Screw the reservoir tank filler cap into place. Lower the cargo bed until it locks into place.

Transfer the old antifreeze from the drain pan into resealable containers. Take the antifreeze to an automotive fluid recycling center for disposal.