How long to replace a "stuck" waterpump?

[Vimto156]

Hi hope someone on here can help. I'm wondering how long it would take a competent mechanic to take out a "well stuck" water pump and replace it with a new one. I'm thinking 15 to 20 minutes max? Mechanic thinks it took 45 minutes! Can't be right surely?

This is on an Alfa 156 BTW.

Many Thanks

Vimto

[eybic]

I'm no mechanic but if a water pump is "well stuck" then 45 minutes doesn't sound unreasonable at all.

[payner2008]

Vimto156 said:

Hi hope someone on here can help. I'm wondering how long it would take a competent mechanic to take out a "well stuck" water pump and replace it with a new one. I'm thinking 15 to 20 minutes max? Mechanic thinks it took 45 minutes! Can't be right surely?

This is on an Alfa 156 BTW.

Many Thanks

Vimto

If anything, 45 minutes doesn't sound enough


HTH

[Gad-Westy]

payner2008 said:

If anything, 45 minutes doesn't sound enough


HTH

Exactly what I was thinking. They can be a huge job on the wrong car.

[Vimto156]

Righty oh... thanks for the advice.. Thought it was a bit too long as swapping one out normally takes around 10 minutes max.. But hey I'm not a mechanic..

[JonnyFive]

Gad-Westy said:

payner2008 said:

If anything, 45 minutes doesn't sound enough


HTH

Exactly what I was thinking. They can be a huge job on the wrong car.

Agreed! Water pump takes about two and a half hours on an MX5

[LuS1fer]

It's a very fluid thing so cool down.

[C. Grimsley]

I have had them on some cars take double that time and it them only comes out in pieces.

Carl

[payner2008]

Vimto156 said:

Righty oh... thanks for the advice.. Thought it was a bit too long as swapping one out normally takes around 10 minutes max.. But hey I'm not a mechanic..

Can i ask what vehicle you are referring to when you say you can change a water pump in 10 minutes?

[E30M3SE]

payner2008 said:

Vimto156 said:

Righty oh... thanks for the advice.. Thought it was a bit too long as swapping one out normally takes around 10 minutes max.. But hey I'm not a mechanic..

Can i ask what vehicle you are referring to when you say you can change a water pump in 10 minutes?

+1, as I would imagine it would take more or less 10 minutes to fill up the cooling system and run it up to temp and ensure that there are not air locks present, which if I were paying someone to do the job I would expect.

[J4CKO]

No way ten minutes, 45 sounds debateable, I am thinking they will need to drop the coolant, remove the old, fit the new, there may be access issues like plastic panels or moving other items, then fit the new one and fill the system, bring to temp, cool down, check levels and top up as required.

[Vimto156]

This was whilst doing the cambelt so all the gubbins had already been removed. Its ok the guys have done a good job just wanted to check what he was saying actually could be true. Seems it is, so no problems :-)

[JonnyFive]

Vimto156 said:

This was whilst doing the cambelt so all the gubbins had already been removed. Its ok the guys have done a good job just wanted to check what he was saying actually could be true. Seems it is, so no problems :-)

Oh right, you didn't mention that

Yeah 15-45 minutes depending on corrosion etc.

[Condi]

10 mins to do a waterpump?


fk me that must be nigh on a world record! Assuming it takes 2 mins to drain the system, and 2 mins to fill it back up again you're seriously telling me that you can remove a waterpump, scrape old gasket off, fit and seal a new gasket then tighten new waterpump back in place in 6 minuets?

[Petrolhead_Rich]

Vimto156 said:

Hi hope someone on here can help. I'm wondering how long it would take a competent mechanic to take out a "well stuck" water pump and replace it with a new one. I'm thinking 15 to 20 minutes max? Mechanic thinks it took 45 minutes! Can't be right surely?

This is on an Alfa 156 BTW.

Many Thanks

Vimto

45 minutes, it will take that long to drain the radiator and get to be able to see roughly where the water pump is on any car I've ever had!

Snap his arm off, pre-pay him for his 45 minutes of work and go back tomorrow to see how much blood he has lost from skinning his knuckles!!!

FYI, it took me a day to swap the water pump on my old rover, from 7am until 11:45pm with about a hour's breaks in total!

[mcford]

I think that the OP means the time taken to remove a stuck in water pump and fit a new one when the engine is already dismantled for access, as in when it is replaced during a cambelt change. Say that the time quoted for a belt change is 2.5 hours, the OP thinks that replacing the water pump is an additional 10 minutes, where in reality the old pump was seized into its housing and it took an additional 45 minutes.

I cant see them replacing it in 10 minutes as it would take longer than that to drain, refill and bleed the cooling system and then run it upto temperature to check.

[Vimto156]

mcford said:

I think that the OP means the time taken to remove a stuck in water pump and fit a new one when the engine is already dismantled for access, as in when it is replaced during a cambelt change. Say that the time quoted for a belt change is 2.5 hours, the OP thinks that replacing the water pump is an additional 10 minutes, where in reality the old pump was seized into its housing and it took an additional 45 minutes.

I cant see them replacing it in 10 minutes as it would take longer than that to drain, refill and bleed the cooling system and then run it upto temperature to check.

Yep Mcford that's exactly what I was, cack handed, trying to say. Sorry i was in a rush hence the lack of detail. Anyway its not a problem now paid up and the job seems good and has been done correctly .Happy days.