Well that was Easy

All we did on Friday was to removed the old water pump and fit the new. Well that was the short version.

We watched everyone leave on the run that day and set to on the car at 9:00 am - with lots of borrowed tools and determination. 

The first job was to go and get something to catch the water as it cam out - I chatted up the old chap in the petrol station next door to the hotel and we found two old 5l containers in the re-cycling. We cut one up as the catcher and I started.

Top and bottom hoses first to remove the radiator. That was off by 10:25.

This is going to take a long time I thought.

Then I set too on the water pump itself. That had four bolts, and an odd one but I had to move the dynamo to get one out as the nut on that was rounded off. All undone and - nope. Nothing doing. So I tapped it - for 30 minutes. Eventually it freed itself so by 1:15 we were done.

I phoned the German with the pump and he said he would be back at 5:00 pm so we had a rest and went for a walk.

Thomas appeared about 4:00 and after the transaction (very reasonable) so we were back at it by 16:30. This time I had a lot of help too as most people were back and other cars had groups around them fixing other issues.

Several things got in the way like the backplate which would not come off. Then the old fittings had to be transferred to the new pump – thanks to another German engineer that was done quickly. Again and again we put the pump in place but it would not fit. Eventually we had it aligned and then someone spotted there was a gap at the opposite side to me. 

After wondering what to do I spotted that the timing chain cover was bent over at the point the pump fitted. So we 'bent' it back. Actually it took five minutes of hitting with bar and hammer until the was bent back and the pump went on correctly.

The bolts were hard to align but eventually with a lot of help it was on. 16:30 time to have supper.

Back at it about eight o'clock putting the radiator back and by 9:30 pm we were done.

The entertainment was over for everyone and we went to bed.