OEM 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Water Pump

2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Water Pump Parts and Q&A

• Q: How Can a Water Pump Be Replaced Without Discharging the Air Conditioning System on 2002 Dodge Ram 1500?

  A: A water pump can be uninstalled without letting out the air conditioning fluid if the vehicle has it. The heat shield is attached straight to the gas-powered engine chain cover and on the 5.9L engine, a gasket is applied to seal the bolt. If the water pump is being changed due to bearing or shaft damage or if there's a leaking shaft seal, look for signs of cracks in the mechanical cooling fan, unattached fan blades or loose rivets. If there are any of these symptoms, replace the fan along with inspecting the thermal viscous fan drive. Disconnect the negative battery terminal first and dump the fluid in a clean container for reusing it if the solution is clean. Get rid of the radiator fan, the accessory drive belt, lower radiator hose and heater hose from around the water pump. Break the hose sealing bolt, take off the heater tube and dispose of the Outer Ring. Remove the bolts securing the water pump on the engine, slide the bypass hose off the water pump loosening its clamp first and remove the pump itself without prying it out of the timing chain case/cover. Scan the gaskets for any signs of cracks, leaks around the shaft seal, damaged bearings or impeller rubbing. If you notice anything wrong, change the water pump because these problems can quickly become serious. First, wipe the gasket areas, insert the new gasket for water pump installation, guide the water pump tube into the nearby hose and tighten the water pump mounting bolts to 40 Nm (30 ft. lbs.). Place the bypass hose clamp, spin the water pump to check for impeller-timing chain case/cover contact, add a new O-ring to the heater hose coolant return tube filled with antifreeze and mount the coolant return tube at the engine along with its bolt. Assemble the radiator lower hose to the water pump, join the heater hose and hose clamp to the coolant return tube, fit the drive belt and fan, fill up the cooling system, attach the negative battery cable back on and run the engine to see for any leaks.