Helpful guide for the installation of a Continental or Perkins Water Pump Pulley
Whether or not you have installed a water pump pulley before or not, this Tech Tip will walk you through the steps of installing a water pump pulley without breaking it or, more importantly, not ruining your new water pump.
- Remove the old water pump from the engine and clean the mounting surface on the engine block using some WD40.
- Thoroughly drain, flush, and reverse flush your radiator and engine block to remove all scale and rust. We suggest the use of a cleaning or flushing compound to make sure all rust and scale is purged from the cooling system.
- 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.
- 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.) Measure the new pulley and shaft (typical recommended press fit is .001 inches (0.025 mm). Insert cap screw in pump body before pressing the pulley onto the shaft. Coat the inside of the pulley bore with Loctite™ retainer compound.
- Place the pulley face down on a flat surface and, using an arbor, press the end of the shaft to the determined distance in Step 3. The pulley should turn freely when installed.
- Install the pump on the block with a new gasket. DO NOT run the pump without coolant in the system. Running a pump dry will damage the seal and shorten pump life.
- Even if hoses look sound, check them to make sure they have not become soft or spongy. A soft or defective hose allows air to leak into the cooling system and combines with the water to accelerate corrosion and restrict water flow. Make sure hoses are clamped tightly.
As a side note, please keep in mind that not only can a press-on pulley be difficult to remove and press onto the new pump, it can be expensive if you break the pulley. Perkins press-on pulleys, such as on the Perkins 4.108, can sometime be more expensive than the pump itself so please use caution and if you have questions, give us a call!
Some other Tech Tips you might be interested in can be found here:
Tech tip #64: Water Pump Pulleys; and
Tech Tip # 224: How to Install a New Perkins, Ford, Continental or Deutz Water Pump
