The water pump in the 1993 Ford Aerostar should be changed when it starts to leak or if the bearings lock up. It could leak from behind the gasket, or through the weep hole under the pulley. This the water pump is made of aluminum, and the manufacturer recommends using extended life antifreeze with its aluminum pumps. The pump comes with a gasket, but RTV silicone should also be used to help hold the gasket in place and to provide extra sealing power.
Instructions
1. Disconnect the negative battery cable, using the appropriate wrench. Set it aside, ensuring that it does not touch metal. Slide the drain pan under the radiator petcock, loosen the petcock and allow the coolant to drain. Close the petcock. Loosen the clamp on the air duct, using the screwdriver, and pull the air duct off the air cleaner.
2. Remove the engine fan and radiator shield, using the appropriate sockets. Loosen the four water pump pulley bolts, but do not remove them. Loosen the adjusting bolts on the brackets for the accessories. Slide the accessories toward the engine to loosen tension on the belts. Lift the belts off the pulleys.
3. Remove the four water pump pulley bolts, then pull the pulley off the water pump. Unplug the wiring harness connector for the alternator. Remove the oil fill tube retaining nut at the alternator stud. Slide the tube off the stud. Remove the alternator adjusting arm and throttle body brace, using the appropriate sockets.
4. Remove the engine drive belt tensioner, using the Torx bit. Loosen the clamp on the lower radiator hose, at the engine, using the screwdriver. Pull the hose off the water pump. Disconnect the heater hose at the water pump, using the screwdriver. Remove the five screws that hold the power steering pump support bracket onto the engine. Prop the power steering pump up near the battery tray. Do not disconnect the hoses.
5. Remove the water pump retaining bolts, taking note of their location. They need to be reinstalled in the same place. Remove the pump from the engine. Clean the gasket-mating surface on the engine, using the plastic scraper and shop rags.
6. Spread a thin layer of RTV silicone on the water pump's mounting surface. Position the gasket onto the water pump. Allow it to set for two or three minutes. Position the water pump onto the engine's timing cover. Install the retaining bolts and tighten them by hand as far as they will go. Tighten the bolts to 84 inch-pounds of torque.
7. Reinstall the lower radiator hose and tighten the clamp. Reinstall the power steering pump support bracket and tighten the bolts to 35 foot-pounds of torque. Reinstall the water pump pulley, the tighten the bolts firmly. Reinstall the drive belt tensioner and tighten the bolts to 30 foot-pounds of torque.
8. Reinstall the heater hose and tighten the hose clamp firmly. Reinstall the alternator adjusting arm and brace. Tighten the bolts to 35 foot-pounds of torque. Plug in the alternator wiring harness connector. Install the oil fill tube bracket on the stud at the alternator and tighten the retaining nut to 35 foot-pounds of torque.
9. Reinstall the accessory drive belts. Tighten the four water pump pulley bolts to 19 foot-pounds of torque. Reinstall the fan/clutch assembly and the fan shroud. Reconnect the negative battery cable. Fill the radiator system with extended life coolant.
Tags: water pump, foot-pounds torque, torque Reinstall, bolts foot-pounds, bolts foot-pounds torque