How to Replace the Water Pump in an S-10 2.2L

The 1994 and 1995 Chevrolet S-10 trucks were available with a 2.2-liter multipoint fuel injected in-line four-cylinder engine. The 2.2 Vortec in-line four-cylinder engine was available from 1996 through 2003. The water pump on the 2.2-liter engines on the 1994 through 2003 S-10 is belt-driven and found on the front of the engine. The water pump is responsible for propelling the coolant through the 2.2-liter S-10 engines.

Instructions

1

Open the hood and set the hood prop. Inspect beneath the hood and in the engine compartment for a belt routing diagram. If none is present, draw a box on a piece of paper to represent the engine. Draw circles on the box to symbolize the pulleys on the front of the engine, in the position that they appear. Draw a thick line between the pulleys to represent the routing of the drive belt.

2

Raise the front of the S-10 with a jack, on the driver's side of the truck. Place a jack stand beneath the front frame rail, just inward from the lower control arm. Lower the truck onto the jack stand. Lie beneath the front of the truck and slide your drain pan beneath the lower radiator hose, where it is joined to the rear of the radiator. Loosen the hose clamp on the radiator hose with a ratchet and socket. Remove the hose from the bottom of the radiator. Allow the coolant from the engine and radiator to drain into the pan.

3

Install the radiator hose back onto the radiator and tighten the clamp snug with a ratchet and socket. Raise the front of the truck off of the jack stand, then remove the stand from beneath the truck. Set the S-10 back on the ground.

4

Loosen the three mounting bolts on the front of the water pump pulley using a ratchet and socket. Do not remove the bolts completely. Depress the belt tensioner assembly by placing a 3/8-inch-drive ratchet into the provided hole at the top of the tensioner. Remove the drive belt from the engine completely.

5

Place a drain pan beneath the front driver's side of the engine, just below the pulley. Remove the water pump pulley mounting bolts completely, then remove the water pump pulley from the pump shaft. Remove the water pump mounting bolts completely from the water pump. Pull the water pump off the engine, and allow the remaining inner engine coolant to drain into the pan.

6

Scrape the water pump mounting surface using a straight razor blade. Remove the old gasket material and residue from the water pump mounting surface. Scrape outward from the water pump hole so you do not accidentally introduce foreign material into your cooling system.

7

Apply a thin even coat of gasket sealer or gasket maker to the new water pump. Apply another thin coat of either product directly onto the water pump engine mounting surface. Install a new water pump gasket onto the new water pump by hand, making sure to align all of the bolt holes.

8

Install the new water pump and gasket horizontally onto the engine, making sure you do not twist or turn the pump once it touches the engine. Turning the pump can cause the gasket to fall out of alignment with the pump. Press the pump with slight pressure against the engine mounting surface. Install the water pump mounting bolts and tighten them snug with a ratchet and socket.

9

Tighten the mounting bolts to 18 foot-pounds using a 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench and socket. Install the water pump pulley, and tighten the pulley bolts snug with your fingers.

10

Depress the belt tensioner and install the belt using the diagram on the truck or the one you drew. Release the tensioner slowly once the belt is in place. Check the vertical center alignment of the belt on each pulley. If the belt is not in the track of every engine pulley, depress the tensioner halfway and make the adjustments. Tighten the water pump pulley bolts to 18 foot-pounds with your torque wrench and a socket. Move your drain pan beneath the radiator.

11

Add engine coolant to the radiator until the radiator is completely full. Step to the driver's side of the S-10. Start the engine. Adjust the heater control panel switches to full heat, full fan speed and windshield defrost. Allow the truck to run for 20 to 30 minutes, or until all of the air pockets and bubbles stop exiting the radiator fill hole. Continually fill the radiator as the air escapes to compensate for the loss of fluid level. Shut the truck off when the air is bled out completely, then top off the radiator and install the cap.