A lot of us these days never grew up on farms or have military experience where basic mechanical skills were taught. This Shop Kinks shows you how to install a water pump pulley without breaking it or, more likely, ruining your new water pump.

1. Using WD40, remove the old water pump from the engine and clean the mounting surface on the engine block.
2. Thoroughly drain, flush, and reverse flush your radiator and engine block to remove all scale and rust.
3. Remove the backing plate from the old pump and measure the distance from the rear of the pump body to the rear of the pulley flange.
4. Carefully remove the old pulley using a puller and check the sheaves for abrasions. (Note: This would be a good time to paint your pulley with a resistant paint.) Apply Locktite retainer compound to the pulley bore.
5. Place the pulley face down on a flat surface and, using an arbor, press the end of the shaft to the determined in Step 3. The pulley should turn freely when installed.
6. Install the pump on the blocks with a new gasket. Check all hoses, fill the engine with coolant, and, while running, check for leaks.