Just got done replacing the water pump in a 2001 Sebring convertible, 2.7L V6 with 111,000 miles. This car gets pretty regular oil changes and other routine maintenance. Transmission was rebuilt 2 months ago, the AC compressor went last month and now my wife breaks down 20 miles from home and there was oil and water all over the engine(still not sure how it got there exactly). As soon as I opened the oil filler cap and saw all the nasty foamy cream inside, it was obvious we had to call the tow truck.


Initially, I would have bet it was a head gasket or cracked head, but after a lot of research, mostly on this forum, I began to believe it was the water pump causing the problem. Unfortunately, the water pump on this engine is in a ridiculous location. And by the time I got to the water pump, I had decided to change the head gaskets regardless of what shape the water pump was in.



Anyway, it was the water pump that crapped out and leaked into the oil pan. The head gaskets appeared okay but quite a bit of gunk built up in some of the ports on the heads so it was probably a worthwhile to get the heads out and clean up everything.



The main reason I am posting this is to share some of the many photos I took during the job. I took them for my benefit so I could remember what went where every step of the way. The photos can be seen at ImageShack Album - 52 images I think it helps to get a real-life view of the engine and the components.


A few more random thoughts on the process:
· I did replace the main timing chain, but not the 2 secondary chains. They seemed good.
· I bought all the timing chain guides but re-used old ones because they too were in perfect condition.
· Probably should have taken the heads to a machine shop but did not. Cleaned them as good as possible and they seem fine.
· The Haynes manual I have was excellent, especially regarding the timing chain procedures. It all went back together pretty smoothly.
· The car started right up, ran a little rough initially and then smoothed out nice. Been a couple days now and runs great with no leaks.


Thanks to all who have contributed to this forum. I have learned a great deal from you and I hope that someone will benefit from my efforts as well.

Mike

 

Wow, thanks for posting. Very helpful. Good job. Hope it runs like a champ.

 

Great story. You might consider posting your photos here as an album with descriptive captions.

 

I just found a 2001 Sebring Lxi 2.7 on craigslist for $700. It says the water pump needs replacement. How long did it take you to do the water pump job? Did you have to pull the heads to get to the pump? I am a mechanic, and not afraid of the job, just curious if thisz would be a good car for my wife.
Any other thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom

 

buy a service manual and it will tell u how to do it

 

I agree. The pics are awesome, but some captions on them would have been even better. (you did it on some of them).

Thank you for the post.

Also, some hints of how you did things since you didn't have access to a hoist or other shop tools that might have made the job a bit easier.

Roughly what was your time input to do the job?