Thread: water pump replacement - never done it

Hey Kyle I actually have a set but 12mm died on me. I also wasn't able to find it, I onl can find my 10mm :/ But I did manage to reach the 12mm nut on the power steering spanner with 3/8 that I bought for this job. My 1/4 I I am not strong enough to loosen it and my 1/2 just didn't fit.

Today I replaced my Ga16DE oilpan with some new RTV. What happened the first time, I did use quite some RTV there, guessing some loose RTV in the oil wouldn't hurt much but it started leaking. Turned out that in this chaotic engine swap there had been used three bolts where one of them just was too long to actually do something and the other two just where a bit on the edge of actually holding something because of their leingth. Surprisingly the oil pump holes could take the two longer bolts and the third was that long I had to replace with some bolt that shouldn't be there but it could take the torque. The oilpan had been damaged but not by me and actually is visually bent. I let it sit for 24 hours and hope this time the RTV will hold.

But that wasn't the topic of course. Here is a Ga16DE oilpan.


My question, are there any recommendations on the 10mm sockets? I do have the standard 1/4 socket and the 1/4 knee, but would it be a good idea to get a long 10mm socket maybe? The point is that a 10 mm standard socket with a knee is longer then the room I may expect by lowering or raising the engine. Also, for this Ga16DE, I'll attempt to replace it's waterpump tomorrow. It's just more roomy there and a bit easier. Then with the knowledge gained there on cross members and waterpumps I'll service my b13 Sr20 which just doesn't have the room like in the picture above.

So in other words, what kind of 10mm accessories do you use? I'll rather get them then using the 1/4 knee.

I don't know what a "knee" socket is, but if you have a 1/4"-drive 10mm socket, you should also have a 3/8"-drive 10mm socket to go with your 3/8"-drive ratchet.
A deep socket 10mm can come in handy, but is usually not required. More importantly you'll want a 10mm box-end wrench (spanner).

A knee, called a 'knee pad' literally translated I do not know a differen name so here is a picture.



The things that worry me is that that part ends up in a lot of cases doing nothing since it is bent in full. There is no good way to put some force directly on the 10mm bolts with this. But this knee with 10mm socket is like 0.2 inch shorter then the shortest extender I have with the socket. That is also 0.2 inch so no big differnce.

To reprashe my question, I learned that reaching seven waterpump bolts might not work with the extender, ratchet and socket I have. Also a deep socket came out another 0.2 inches longer so I see no need to get a deep 10mm socket.


Stuff I have is just this and that bendable thing shown above.

If there is something I might want to buy beforehand please tell me, for it's cost I take that for granted, just trying to even out some possible headache.

If this 1/4 set would work according to you I'll take it.

Space is tight. Extensions and universal joints (knees) and wobble joints should generally not be required, nor helpful. You should be fine with a normal ratchet and socket.
That being said, I'm a bit surprised you seem to only have 1/4" tools and a very limited set at that. You may want some other tools, maybe even a short extension or deep socket for a little more reach. But if you're doing this kind of job, you should already have a full set of 3/8" stuff, and wrenches, and extensions. If you're diving into jobs like this, you'll want them in the future anyway. Might as well get them now if you can afford them?

Okay, I see, I think? I did buy the 3/8 ratchet before attempting water pump replacement Sr20. It is useful for those caliper guide pins since 1/2 starts eating the brake lines and for the the Ga16DE it was a welcome addition to my 1/4 and 1/2. The 3/8 has no universal joint though. The 1/4 extension I have is 0.2 inch shorter then a deep socket and I have bought a 'regular' 10mm socket from a brand being used in automotive and that one does fit on those two nuts on the oil pan at the gearbox so I think I am good there.

I'm not sure what a wobble joint is, this is not a Dutch product?

But maybe you are recommending this to me?



I do not know how to express myself in English but third from left it is best visible that joint is made thinner so that extension actually has some play and I do not have it. I noticed my shortest extension 2" is a nice size if you do not count wrench thickness and socket size. If I can find no 1" extension, there must be a reason for this, probably me overlooking something? Most left extension is being advertised as 2" and a shorter one would be helpful but I did not find it. So maybe I do have this 2" extension, do I then have the shortest extension available? I feel like I don't get it, instead of a deep socket a 'half deep' socket would be great I think.

Yes, those are extensions with wobble joints. That's what I was talking about. They can come in very useful, but are not required for this job.

Okay I'll take your word for it over mine. Still it is bothering me. I noticed on the picture I posted, second left looks like a 1" extension if it is not 3/8 and why would it being advertised as 1/4. I hope to get a 1" extension then. On the other hand, you still might be right since I noticed on the Ga16DE that a regular socket without extension did fit but you scrape here and there the engine. I'll investigate for the 1" though because I still see boars on the road.

If someone could confirm second extension from the left is about half shorter then extension most left and still is 1/4 that would be great. It is not so I don't want to spend the $30 but I have some time to sort out what I exactly need, I see no use from third left extension to the most right extension.

If you are aware of the three 10mm bolts on the Ga16DE, that manifold between thermosat housing and water pump, yeah I reckon regular extensions do fit but it uses the play it has, it is not exactly straight but still something a straight socket or extension would manage. Should I look at this boar I see that way, a little 'I am aware of what I am doing', this bolt 'won't give up, no worries' style?

I'm pretty sure this is the correct sizing. Not sure why the fuck they ordered them this way, but there it is. Maybe link us to the product page to be sure?

Yes you are right. I was looking at the picture with the idea why would they use a special lense to show all that extensions but they are in different sizes indeed.

bol.com | HBM 9 Delige Verlengstukken Set Met Kogelkoppen

I did order this though

HBM 4 Delige Dopsleutel Adapterset

I still wonder why I worry myself not having a less than 2 inch extension but I took my chances with the 3/8 to 1/4 adapter with a 10 mm socket, I figured but didn't measure this would be shorter. I am about to remove the cross member on the b13 Sr20 and assume I shouldn't be attempting to do it all in a single day. Working to get the water pump off and put the new one in so that the rtv can dry is a good idea and to be sure to finish this job nice just start putting things back together again next day. It will be a hassle since I feel that lowering the car is best to prevent nosy people so then I should reinstall the cross member again to be able to lower it. But this is still a better option for me then hiring $15 per hour bridge somewhere, be stuck to their opening times and being billed if I will have to leave the car at 5 o clock unfinished. I'll also work on all rust I'll find and fiddle with everything to make it nice and shiny, it would be a lot better to have a place where I can put my b13 on jack stands and be able to leave it when I have had enough or got stuck. But no such place around for me.

So I probably end up doing it in the same amount of steps for my k11 with Ga16DE. Key is lowering and raising the engine to learn how to reach every of the seven water pump bolts. If that fits I can attempt to remove it. An other option is to ask a friend with more experience but he already agreed on a clutch replacement. I will be happy when I found out how to do this one. Ga16 work is not the same as Sr20 work I already learned.

Here is the proof I did my best today. I wasted a lot of time on the power steering bracket. Turned out that bracket is removable without removing power steering pulley. I attempted to remove power steering pulley to be sure what was underneath but that didn't work for me. FSM didn't show a Sr20 bracket so some more boars on the road for me. Now that I took this bracket off I can relate it was visible with some proper lighting but still.