Water pump and raising/lowering engine

hightails · Post by **hightails** » 04 Oct 2018, 04:19

Guys,

Although I’ve done my own car work for many years, including cam belt changes, I’ve always been nervous about raising or lowering an engine. I know it's done as part of some procedures, but I've always seen it as a last resort because I don't really have a feel for how much you can raise/lower by before causing damage.

But now I have a problem. I’m changing my cambelt and water pump on a 2009 C70 2.4i non-turbo, LHD (ie UK). For these cars you have to remove the engine mount near the coolant resrvoir to gain access, and I've done that, carefully keeping the engine at the same height.

The problem is that I’ve got everything out, including water pump bolts, but can’t manipulate the pump out from under the engine. I’ve unbolted the inner plastic cover and got some more movement, but still can’t remove it. So I would like to drop the engine about an inch and a half to give more clearance. Is it OK to do that? Any probs stressing exhaust or other components?

Post by **abscate** » 04 Oct 2018, 07:02

There is a number in VIDA , regarding how many cms you can move the engine around, I will try to find it.

Post by **scot850** » 04 Oct 2018, 08:01

Don't know for the V50/S40 based C70 of that year. For the earlier P80 models (93-00) the max was 30mm due to the LH axle inner CV joint potentially being damaged.

Neil.

hightails · Post by **hightails** » 04 Oct 2018, 10:45

abscate : it would be great if you could find that. Just what I need. Failing that I'm going to have to take scot850's number and allow some contingency. But who's to say that will be OK? It's a different car!

I've only had the car 3 weeks, and loving every minute of it. Shame to break it.

Post by **xHeart** » 04 Oct 2018, 10:59

I am aware of WARNNG that Scot850 points out.

This diagram may help a little. What mount(s) are undone for the engine to be raised?

hightails · Post by **hightails** » 04 Oct 2018, 11:37

It's the mount comprising items 1-8, though only items 1,2,3,5 are actually removed. The rest is a kind of bracket to which the rest of the mount is attached, and which does not normally need to be removed for the purpose of changing the cambelt and water pump. It is (obviously) the mount on the belt/waterpump side of the engine, hence the opportunity to drop the engine a bit to get the pump out of the bottom if that can be done without damage.

The other obvious question to ask is whether the pump could be removed upwards if the bracket (item 4) was also removed. The answer is no, because the clearance between the block and the inner wing even with the bracket removed would only be 50cm (2") and the pump is approx 80mm "thick", including impeller and sprocket.

Post by **xHeart** » 04 Oct 2018, 12:04

UK vehicles would be RHD not LHD, right?

hightails · Post by **hightails** » 04 Oct 2018, 14:06

It's the stress, XHeart, the stress!!

Sorry, I should have said RHD. Thanks for pointing that out.

Post by **xHeart** » 05 Oct 2018, 20:16

VIDA shows the two mounts 1 & 3 (4 bolts #2s & #5s) will need to come off. But it says to use the engine support bar. Like this:

hightails · Post by **hightails** » 06 Oct 2018, 02:41

That's a bit late for me as I've had it (level) on the floorjack and wood block method for some time now. Also I don't have an engine support bar. There are quite a lot of youtube vids for similar models that use the jack and wood block, so I'm reasonably comfortable with that. As you would expect, I'm using an axle stand as well in case the jack fails.

Like I said earlier, the real issue has been how much I can lower it to gain better access to remove the water pump. Following advice from a local independent garage, and noting the 30mm figure quoted above, I have now lowered 15mm and that has been enough to get the old pump out and the new one in.

So thanks, everybody. I think I'm sorted now, but will be back if I have further probs.