How do you replace the water pump on a 2002 Chevy Silverado 4.3L?

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1284789

2026-06-01 01:40

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I am working on my '99 Silverado now. It took me 3 hours to get the old pump off. Now I am stuck... Here is what I have done, not sure if it is correct... Step one - drain down the radiator - pull down hose sticking up on driver's side of radiator. stick it into a bucket or old milk jug, etc. Open little valve (plastic) on bottom of radiator (driver's side near start of rubber hose). Open the coolant fill cap on the white plastic coolant overflow container on the passenger side. This will allow the coolant to flow out of the radiator. Step Two - Remove fan cowl. Two bolts on radiator mounting frame and then two bolts on each side of cowl itself. Cowl will lift out in two pieces. Step Three - Remove fan if you can (this is where I got stuck - so I skipped this - read on). Step Three (again) - remove serpentine belt. With 3/8" driver - stick this into the tensioning thingy (the one below the alternator - passenger side of fan). Pull on driver and belt should become loose. Remove belt. Step Four - with a pair of channel locks grab the clamps holding the hoses in place and move them down the hose to a place that is not over the metal tube inside the hose. This will make removal of the water pump easier later. If you can loosen up the hoses now do it, otherwise this can wait until later. Step Five - (protect the gound below with a tarp or container to catch spillage) With your socket and a long extension you should be able to reach the four bolts holding the water pump on. Reaching in through the fan into where you can't see put the socket on and turn. Step Six - Pull water pump free - work the hoses off as best you can. Step Seven - don't knick your radiator Step eight - Clean all of the gasket material off the engine block with a painter's small putty knife or scrapper. Make sure you get it all - you don't want to fix a leak later do you? Step nine - NOW I am stuck - With the fan still attached to the old water pump - remove the fan and pulley assembly from the old water pump. HOW do I get this off!!! I think I know how but it doesn't seem to work the way I think it should? Step ten - reassemble with new water pump..... In my answer I meant to mentions that my '99 sivlerado is also a 4.3 V6. Ok I got the fan off. I went to a garage and the mechanic pulled out a chisel and an air line. Hooked the chisel to the air line and put the fan/waterpump assembly on the ground. He used the chisel on the nut holding the fan to the pump on the ground. The vibration and the downward force of the chisel got the nut free in about two tries. The fan assembly easily spun off the water pump. total time 2 minutes plus trip to service station. I then went home an put the new pump on and put it all back together. better than an air chisel, use a strap wrench on the pulley and a big crescent on the fan nut. the fan nut isn't that tight. When i replaced my water pump i didn't have a strap wrench. what i did was i had my buddy hold the pulley tight just with his hands while i used a large wrench on the fan nut and hit the wrench somewhat hard to get the nut loose. took about 2 seconds

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