Has anyone replaced a water pump on a 97 cavalier with a 2.4?

[GSTOY]

Apperently chevy had one of those "better idea's" when it came to the water pump on my son's cavalier. It has the 2.4L twin cam engine and it really needs a water pump. Problem is the water pump is driven off of the timing chain tensioner gear and it says I have to take the front cover off in order to replace the water pump. Has anyone tackled this?? Any shortcuts??


Steve

 

[chopped39]

If you never done.take it to a shop.You have to take off the front cover the exhaust manifold and a few more parts.If you do it yourself order up a new tensioner shoe because the clip that holds it in is going to break.The biggest problem is when the tensioner is taken off .You have to push the tensioner in with a small prybar nothing crazy.just push it in and it will stay retracted.Remember to push it back in and let it extend up against the tensioner shoe when your putting it back together.It is oil pressure controlled but the pressure will not extend it against the tensioner shoe.Order a thermostat because that has to come out also.If you go get a book on the car from zone it tell you step by step.If you run into problems email me or pm me .I have done alot of them.Oh yeah there are no shortcuts unless its a 5 speed trans.

 

[novaderrik]

one of many reasons to avoid OHC engines.
i changed the water pump on my 2.2 powered 97 Cavalier in about a half hour. and the pump only cost about $20. that car is so simple to work on, it's almost too easy.

 

[gsgns4me]

There are some pins to use in the cam gears on reassembly to keep them properly timed, also. No marks on the cam gears that I remember, but there is one on the crank gear. Just push the pins through the gears into a hole in the timing cover.

Oh, yeah.... I think the "Quad 4" was one of Oldsmobile's ideas.

 

[GSTOY]

Thanks guys, that's what I thought. My ex bought this car for my son and didn't bother asking me for my opinion. If she would have got the one with the 2.2, that would have been a snap. I think I'm going to pass on working on this one, I really don't have all the tools to do this job, and I loath working on front wheel drive cars.

It looked like you could slide the water pump out from the back, but I guess that would have been to easy.

Steve

 

[camaro75racer]

God i hate those motors. Cant tell you how many of them ive done in Grand-Ams but there is no shortcuts on it. Also if you have the one that the water neck is made of composite go ahead and replace it while your at it to save time later on.