Hey guys,

I am getting a grinding sound under the hood, it sounds like a bad bearing. I originally thought it was the idler pulley but after replacing that I am pretty sure it is the water pump. Can any one give me any insight as to how tough it is to replace the water pump on the Xfire? Also, any recommended after market pumps or is it best to go with the manufacturers pump?

Thanks,
Troy

 

Do not buy one from Chrysler $$$$, get a Mercedes or Bosch pump. I got a new Bosch pump for $65, but it should be about $100 or so.
They are time consuming to replace but not hard, see the repair manual A copy of this can be found in SRT6 documentation thread if you do not know already.
Mercedes part#112 200 1501
Bosch part# 99176
Chrysler part# 05097159AC ?
or #05097158AA ?

 

I know it's tight in there but you could use the old "hose to the ear" trick to localize the area that the sound is coming from.
Hate to see ya replace a perfectly good water pump only to find out it is a bearing or something else!

 

I hate to suggest the hose trick, one slip and it could be in your ear.
I would suggest taking the belt off and rotating all the pulleys by hand and look for a rough and lumpy feel.
The bearing is protected by a seal and if the seal goes there should a leak out the front of the pump as well as a noise.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by onehundred80

I hate to suggest the hose trick, one slip and it could be in your ear.

I should have put a disclaimer first!

WARNING: Do not try this at home! I am a trained professional and have experience doing this and other things you shouldn't try at home!

Remember the idler pulley turn down procedure! LINKY

 

Been there and done that, keep track of the bolts, they are different sizes, lengths and such. Use the new pump to locate the bolts there is one that hides.....Woody

 

Every time I try the hose trick I get slapped in the head with a hose.....


I bought a cheap stethoscope made for this...works pretty good too...no more welts on the side of my head..

 

and I'll be joining you guys, bad WP bearings....

 

Thanks for all the help... I appreciate it. I did confirm by taking the belt off and checking all the pulleys, not only is there a grinding noise coming from the waterpump the pulley also has a lot of slop in it. I order the water pump last week and found out today they are out of stock, unfortunately they wasted a week before telling me.

Once I finally get a pump I will be sure to let everyone know how it goes!

Thanks again for the help,
Troy

 

You ordered from Chrysler? I hope not.
Mercedes should have some available surely. Bosch makes a replacement and my one was $65 brand new in a box.

 

Where did you find that 180? I have the same problem as the OP, sloppy bearings.

 

The water pump is very common since it is the same pump for all 112 and 113 (three valve V6's and V8's). My V8 was missing the water pump so I used the one off my V6 when I did the engine swap. There are a ton of bolts holding it on. You need female torx sockets. Be very careful about the torque of each bolt. they can break easily and you are screwing them into aluminum.

 

ebay was the source for this pump.
It cost $31 for USPS priority shipping, but worth it.

 

i haven't seen a bosch version in hand so i cant comment on that but i do have a new gates water pump here thats half the price of the benz ones. i still need to zap a picture of it for our website but it can ship out today if your ready without any drama. shoot me a pm if your interested. it would be to you in grand rapids tomorrow.

 

The first one was from ebay, it was an autoparts warehouse. They said they had one in stock and then called back and refunded the order. I wish I would have saw you post a few minutes ago... I found a bosch pump on Amazon for $95 but it won't be here tomorrow. It would have been nice to get started working on it!

 

Had the same problem last week with mine. Only 58,400 miles on it. Dealer replaced under extended warranty and was only the $100 ded. Unfortunately I can't tell you how much the part itself would have cost. I also thought it was the idler or maybe a tensioner but I'm glad it's fixed because they told me it was leaking as well.

 

So I finally got out and started working on the car... Got everything finished in one day with only one minor problem. I did take lots of pictures and documented my steps. When I get a few extra minutes I will put together step by step directions to post on the forum for anyone else who has to replace one.

I wanted to thank everyone for the help and suggestions, I really appreciate it.

 

Guess you have been too busy the last few years.

 

Ha! I just checked this thread...where's Wolverine??

 

I snapped a bolt on half, even with the torque wrench set properly. Having a shop remove the bolt from the engine block tomorrow, but after ordering all new water pump bolts from the dealership they all seem way too long.

Anyone know the exact sizes it takes?