How to Replace the Water Pump in a Mitsubishi Eclipse

If the water pump is faulty in your Mitsubishi Eclipse, this could cause all kinds of problems in the vehicle's engine. The water pump is the heart of the Eclipse's cooling system, circulating the coolant. To prolong the life of your car's engine, make sure to change out a bad water pump.

Instructions

Disconnect the negative battery cable.

Place a drain pan underneath the radiator. When the engine is cool, drain the cooling system from the radiator into the pan.

Remove the timing belt tensioner pulley in the 2.4L engines and the timing belt and thermostat in the 3.0L engines.

Disconnect the water pump and the alternator brace.

Remove the timing belt cover.

Loosen and remove the bolts to the water pump.

Remove the water pump from the engine.

Clean the mounting surfaces and install the new water pump to the engine block with a new o-ring on the inlet pipe and a new gasket. Make sure to apply coolant to the o-ring when installing.

Tighten the water pump bolts to 10 foot pounds(13 Nm).

Install the alternator brace to the water pump, tightening the pivot bolt to the brace to 17 foot pounds (24 Nm).

Reinstall the timing belt and rear cover along with all the remaining parts in the reverse order in which they were removed.

Reconnect the negative battery cable.

Refill the cooling system, start the car and check for leaks once the engine reaches normal operating temperatures.