changing the waterpump on a 99 durango

From : dave

Q: i have a leaky waterpump on a 99 durango with the 5.9l engine. it looks like i have to remove the radiator to pull the waterpump. is there a special trick to disconnecting the tranny cooler either leaving it bolted to the radiator and pulling it out or disconnecting the tranny cooler from the radiator from the radiator and leaving the tranny cooler in the car one of the tranny cooler lines looks like it will be very difficult to disconnect and pull out with the radiator. .

Replies:

From : roytom lawrence

on tue 11 mar 2008 170024 -0400 denny wddodge@woh.rr.com wrote i dont know either but the ole girl owes me some chocolate chip cookies!!!!!!! denny shes probably shopping as we speak/type... for tofo dough and fat free chips.. bro never ever mention fat to old wide ride. youll send him into shock. roy mac please remove splinters before emailing .

From : christopher d thompson

on tue 11 mar 2008 075815 -0700 dave wrote i have a leaky waterpump on a 99 durango with the 5.9l engine. it looks like i have to remove the radiator to pull the waterpump. is there a special trick to disconnecting the tranny cooler either leaving it bolted to the radiator and pulling it out or disconnecting the tranny cooler from the radiator from the radiator and leaving the tranny cooler in the car one of the tranny cooler lines looks like it will be very difficult to disconnect and pull out with the radiator. why dont you use a 36mm fan wrench and take the fan off like is intended and leave the radiator in a couple of whacks with a rubber mallet on the handle of the fan wrench and the fans come right off. thus giving you plenty of room. seems like i remember having to pull the fan/fan shroud up at the same time though maybe on a 4x4 model...its been a while since i done one. -- chris .

From : tom lawrence

i have a leaky waterpump on a 99 durango with the 5.9l engine. it looks like i have to remove the radiator to pull the waterpump. nope - just need to unbolt the fan shroud from the radiator. remove the fan and shroud together. as to removing the fan itself check and see whether your waterpump pulley is bolted to the pump there will be four bolts around the center of the pulley or if its pressed on. i know the 00s are pressed on not sure about the 99s. if its bolted on you just need the 36mm fan wrench to remove it as you can hold back on the pulley via one of the mounting bolts. if its pressed on youll need a spanner wrench to keep the pulley from turning there are holes in the face of the pulley for the spanner prongs. you may get lucky and the belt tension may be enough to hold the pulley while you smack the wrench to loosen the clutch nut - however this wasnt the case on my friends 00 durango.... sucker was on there tight. it broke two of my in-house-custom-made spanner wrenches... pays to rent the correct tool. if you do make sure its designed for a pressed-on pulley... most of the kits are made for bolt-on pulleys they assume youll have some bolts to grab on to. .