Water pump replacement (a long one!)

[rbrogren@xxxx]

This is a thank you message, but first let me give some background:

Back in May my D decided to dump the coolant right as I pulled in to a Volvo 
dealership lot (while picking up my car that was in for regular service). I 
didn't have time to tow it back home so I asked my favorite mechanic there to 
take a look and I would call back. When I came back they had replaced one of the 
short hoses on top, at a cost of $146.70 but it still had a leak, "probably 
the water pump". I was quoted $1250 to $1500 to replace the pump. I had heard 
and read here about the tribulations of that job and since there was no way I 
would pay that much I decided to do it myself. For various reasons I didn't 
have time to get to it until about a month ago. In the meantime I had been 
studying the manual, parts manual, service bulletins and although they gave me a 
pretty good idea what I was in for I ended up several times just standing there 
staring at the jumble of components, hoses and fuel lines to figure out where 
to start. In desperation I started to search the arcives and came across two 
excellent articles that proved to be invaluable! At the end of the disassembly 
process the engine compartment looked like a x-mas tree, with connection tags 
on strings all over the place. The reassembly process is going as well as can 
be expeted -- slower than molasses, but I don't mind the time because I 
certainly don't want to redo it!

The only problem (so far) is that I broke off one of the 7Mx35 socket head 
bolts on the back of the waterpump housing when I disassembled tho old one to 
get the back casing for the new pump. Have you ever tried to find that type and 
size of a bolt? Impossible locally and that includes mayn well stocked 
hardware stores, industrial fastener dealers and Volvo and other import shops! Almost 
two days wasted running around until I gave up and called Rob.

Now to the kudos:
A sincere thank you to Dave Swingle and Peter Lucas for their write-ups and 
pictures in the Tech Archives. Without the help of what they wrote I would 
probably have been stumped several times and probably made a number of mistakes! 
And a great big thank you to Rob Grady for his invaluable advice during 
several phone calls and for their rapid deliveries of the parts! (Now, if the USPS 
Express Overnight snail mail would deliver the 7mm bolt I can get the intake 
and all the rest of the spagetti reinstalled!)

I have said it before: Without the DML experts and archives and your favorite 
parts suppliers, the Delorean would just be a memory! 

Roger
VIN 1074


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