HELP! Serpentine belt slipping off Water pump wheel!!!
 

Dear enthusiast,

I encountered what might be a huge problem when I was replacing my serpentine belt.

I've a 99 Boxster with approximately 44K miles. I watched in horror as the water pump wheel wobbled as I cranked up the engine which eventually displaced the serpentine belt about half was off. I tried this several times just to make sure I installed the belt correctly.

I was probably running the car like this unknowingly which explains why my belt separated at 44K miles instead of the regular 60K miles.

Has anyone experienced this? Any idea how much this would cost to repair? Or is it a matter of tightening a bolt or two that holds the water pump wheel in place?

I also tried looking for a bolt to tighten but it seem that the nut could be on the other side/inside.

Please advice and thanks in advance.

As long as nothing broke replacing the belt and belt only should cost about $20-30 max. Its a very simple DIY,I did it... PM me and with your email and I can email you directions.
How much did the water pump wheel wobble?

Hi,

The water pump pulley is integral to the pump itself, it cannot be removed. If it is wobbly as you describe, I suggest that you have a bad bearing and the water pump will require replacement. The part # is: Coolant Pump - 996.106.011.53 - $230, Gasket - 996.106.340.51 - $7.

This is a pretty straightforward replacement if you have a moderate to advanced skill level. Hose clamps and a U-joint Socket are needed as well as a torque wrench. You'll also need to replace the coolant, silicone-free type. I wouldn't hesitate to do this repair myself, but I'm fairly experienced. A dealer may cost upwards of $600 or more for this job. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Say that ten times fast :o

The water pump pully should not wobble at all. It should be a tight, solid fit. If there's any wobble then the bearings are most likely shot and you're about to be stranded on the side of the road. Like Jim said, replace the water pump or have it replaced.

To add to this, the gasket they give you, is an integrated gasket with the oil system on the front of the car. To replace the entire gasket, requires extensive work, dropping the front motor mounts and supporting the engine to do so. The workshop manuals tell you to seperate the gasket into 2 pieces, and only replace the gasket side for the waterpump itself. It involves snipping 3 tabs off the gasket, which connect the 2 gaskets, (which is really 1). You will have to do the same thing removing the old gasket, snip it off at the 3 points.

If you do it this way, the waterpump and new belt is about an hour job. An easy job if you are at all familiar with replacing any type of waterpump.

Purchased water pump and gasket from 986online
 

Dear friends,

I just now purchased the parts from 986online. Could you please tell me which 'tips' to remove from the gasket?

And if you missed the PM's I sent, please send detailed instructions to install these two pieces.

Please advice and thanks in advance.

Hi,

In your image, you want to snip the Gasket apart at the places I've indicated in the pic below. You'll also need to cut the existing gasket in the same places in order to leave the Oil gasket alone when removing the pump. Be sure to scrape all the old gasket off the face of the Block. It's aluminum, so you want to use something plastic, not metal, or you risk scrating the mating surface which could cause a leak. One simple tool I've used many times on Aluminum blocks is to take a hard plastic switchplate for a lightswitch (available at Loews or any Hardware store for $0.50). Snap it in two so you have a sharp edge. It's softer than the aluminum and so you can really reef on it without worrying about scratching the mating surface. If you give me your email, I'll send you the procedure as a Word doc. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99