I've just replaced the timing chain tensioners that were destroyed by overheating caused by the fact that the last person that worked on the motor left out the water pump impeller - GRRR!

After the repair I had a coolant leak at the gap between the top and bottom parts of the head which - by searching this board THANKS - I determined was due to failed seals on the water pump shaft. (The motor is designed to let the coolant leak out at the right edge of the head/cylinder joint to avoid it going into the motor oil.)

I now have new water pump shaft seals and a new shaft (just to be safe) and need to install them.

Can anyone tell me how to get the old seals out and any tips on how to best install the new seals?

I Know that I am able to remove and replace the water pump impeller shaft with the top of the head off and the spring/plunger device removed.

I'm HOPING that this can be done without removing the cylinder head again? and MAYBE without even removing the top half of the head? and POSSIBLY without even removing the spring/plunger that provides the tension for the cam chain?

THANKS for any help you can give me on this!

This board has be a GREAT resource for me as I've worked through these repairs.

Hi. Getting to the back side of a seal and pushing is best. When we can't do this at work we put a hole through the side of the seal ( drill it or punch a flat screwdriver through it) and use a seal pick to "dig" the little bugger out. It sounds brutal but the seal is just a lightweight metal pressing covered in rubber. Smear a bit of grease onto the seal befor you push it into the hole.

ALWAYS take a photo before you start..... So you can put the seal in the right way round. Done that.

What impeller blade are you putting back in? The stock plastic one (compressed plastic pellets) or the Jitsie aluminum one?

What impeller blade are you putting back in? The stock plastic one (compressed plastic pellets) or the Jitsie aluminum one?

I just put in a stock plastic one. My current problem question is not about the impeller blade as that is fixed/done. I then found the seals on the impeller shaft were bad so I am now trying to figure out how far I have to tear the engine down to replace them.

Just a follow up on my fix for the next person that has this question. I was able to removed the seals with a "seal pick" and they were easy to replace just using a socket as a driver.

I didn't have to take the head off/apart BUT when I pulled the shaft out the water pump drive gear fell down and got jammed SO I then took off the tensioner and managed to free the drive gear with an ice pick and then reinsert to shaft, etc.

I'm not sure if NOT first removing the tensioner contributed to the gear falling and getting jammed OR if later removal of the tensioner was really needed to get it un jammed - but it is pretty easy to do so I just did it.