How to Replace the Water Pump in a Toyota Tacoma
by Editorial TeamThe water pump is the heart of the Toyota Tacoma's cooling system, circulating the coolant. When the water pump is faulty, it can cause serious damage to the engine of your Toyota Tacoma.
1GR-FE Tacoma Engine
Step 1
Disconnect the negative cable on the car battery before you begin. Remove the four retaining bolts and take out the number 1 engine undercover assembly when dealing with the 4WD and the PreRunner.
Step 2
Place a drain pan underneath the radiator. When the engine is cool, drain the cooling system from the radiator into the pan.
Step 3
Take out the left side of the radiator support to frame seal and remove the V-bank cover.
Step 4
Remove the fan shroud and the air cleaner assembly. Remove the water inlet after disconnecting the two oil cooler hoses. Also disconnect the radiator and the five water bypass hoses.
Step 5
Loosen and remove the five bolts along with the water inlet. Take the o-ring out of the water outlet pipe and take the gasket out of the water pump. Loosen and remove the two bolts to the number two idler puller subassembly and remove the subassembly.
Step 6
Take the alternator out and remove the mounting bolt to separate the suction hose subassembly and the air conditioning compressor. Disconnect the connector to the air condition compressor and loosen and remove the four bolts to separate the belt tensioner assembly and compressor to remove the belt tensioner assembly.
Step 7
Loosen and remove the retaining bolts to the water pump and remove the water pump. Clean the gasket mounting surfaces and install a new gasket to the water pump before installing the water pump. Tighten all the short bolts to 80 inch pounds and the long bolts to 17 foot pounds.
Step 8
Install the belt tensioner assembly then continue installing the rest of the components in reverse order. Refill the cooling system and reconnect the negative battery cables. Start the engine and check for leaks when the car is at normal operating temperature.
2TR-FE Tacoma Engine
Step 1
Disconnect the negative cable on the car battery before you begin. Remove the four retaining bolts and take out the number one engine undercover assembly when dealing with the 4WD and the PreRunner.
Step 2
Place a drain pan underneath the radiator. When the engine is cool, drain the cooling system from the radiator into the pan.
Step 3
Take out the left side of the radiator support to frame seal and remove the V-bank cover.
Step 4
Remove the fan shroud along with the alternator. Loosen and remove the three bolts to the belt tensioner assembly and remove the assembly.
Step 5
Remove the retaining bolts to the water pump and take the pump out of the engine.
Step 6
Clean all the gasket mounting surfaces before installing a new gasket and putting in the new water pump. Tighten all short bolts to 15 foot pounds and the short bolts to 80 inch pounds.
Step 7
Reinstall the belt tensioner assembly, tightening the first bolt to 30 foot pounds, the second to 16 foot pounds and the last to 32 foot pounds.
Step 8
Reinstall the rest of the components in reverse order, then refill the coolant to the engine and reconnect the negative battery cable. Start the engine and check for leaks when the engine reaches regular operating temperatures.
Tips
- Loud noises coming from the cooling system could be a sign that your water pump needs replacing. A leak in the coolant may also be an indicator. You can expect that a water pump will need changed every 70,000 to 100,000 miles or so in a Toyota Tacoma vehicle.
- Disconnecting the negative battery cable may reset the on-board computer system or parts of the computer system, so be aware that you may have to reset certain settings.
Warnings
- Never attempt to drain the radiator when the engine to your Toyota Tacoma is hot. The steam and the hot coolant within the radiator can cause serious burns.
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