How to Install a Water Pump in a 2005 Chevy Pickup 5.3

The 2005 Chevy Silverado came with a 5.3-liter v-8 and a four-speed automatic transmission. A water pump failure may be unpleasant, but replacing it isn't as difficult a task as you would think. The process may vary a bit depending on how your vehicle is equipped, but it is a task well suited for the home mechanic. Upon replacement you will have to replace your coolant with fresh Dexcool coolant and bleed the cooling system. Your engine holds 15.2-quarts if you have a mechanical fan and 16.8-quarts of coolant if you have an electric fan.

Instructions

1

Park the vehicle and apply the parking brake. Support the front of the truck in the air with jack stands and lift the hood. Rotate the radiator cap to the vent position and then remove it. Drain the coolant into the drain pan from the drain cock on the passenger side corner of the radiator; it opens counterclockwise. Close the drain cock. Remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle to the ground.

2

Loosen the clamps for the air intake hose at the throttle body and MAF sensor and remove the intake tube. Remove the clips securing the engine harness to the PCM cover. Remove the TCM mounting bolts and remove the TCM from the fan shroud. Loosen the bolts securing the harness to the control module and set the TCM aside. Remove the fan shroud retainers and the lower mounting bolts. Remove the upper fan shroud from the vehicle.

3

Loosen the clamp and remove the inlet hose from the water pump. Position the hose aside. If you have a mechanical fan, remove it and the clutch as a unit from the water pump with the fan clutch tool set. Make note of the serpentine belt routing and store it in a safe place. Rotate the tensioner clockwise with a breaker bar and socket on the pulley bolt. Remove the belt from the engine.

4

Remove the surge tank hose, heater inlet hose and outlet hose from the water pump; you will need to use pliers on the clamps. Remove the water pump bolts, but pay attention to where they came from; they are different lengths. Remove the water pump and clean the mating surfaces with a wire brush.

5

Set a new gasket into place and install the new water pump. Tighten the water pump bolts to 11 foot-pounds and then again to 22 foot-pounds. Install all the hoses to their respective locations and set the securing clamps into place. Route the belt around the engine according to the note made earlier and rotate the tensioner clockwise to slide the belt in front of the tensioner. Allow the tensioner to apply tension.

6

Install the fan clutch onto the water pump hub and tighten it to 41 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and crowfoot attachment. Install the upper fan shroud into place and install the securing pins. Install the shroud mounting bolts and tighten to 80 inch-pounds. Install the TCM into place and install the mounting bolts; tighten to 80 inch-pounds. Tighten the harness connector to 71 inch-pounds. Press all wiring harness tabs into place on the fan shroud.

7

Set the air intake tube onto the MAF sensor and throttle body. Tighten the mounting clamps. Slowly fill the radiator with fresh 50-50 pre-mixed Dexcool coolant until the level holds steady at the fill neck. Set the heat controls to max heat and start the engine. As the engine warms up the air in the system will work its way to the radiator and you will need to continue to add coolant. When the level holds steady hold engine speed at 2500 RPM for three minutes. Top the radiator off and install the cap. Fill the surge tank to full hot.

8

Any residual air will bleed into the surge tank after a day of normal driving. Check the coolant level after 48 hours and top of as necessary. Take the used coolant to a local repair shop for proper disposal.