At various times in the past, I've removed the fan clutch/fan and the harmonic balancer (280E) without removing the radiator. So my question is: has anyone ever replaced the water pump on a M110 w/o radiator removal?

Any recommendations for brand of water pump?

One thing I have never done is change the short hose connecting the water-pump housing to the thermostat housing. Can this be done w/o removing either housing?

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You can change the pump without pulling the radiator but it's soooo much easier to pull the radiator. There's nothing like straight on access to the bolts. Good time to give the front of the engine a scrubbing since it's right there in front of you.

The short hose can be changed without removing the housing but it's best to pull the housing and check for corrosion.

I changed the hose once without removing the housings on a dirt road 20 miles from pavement. I replaced it with an intake air hose from a guy's Cummins diesel tractor. It's a real booger. You have to lube it, squeeze it onto either end far enough to get the other end on and then squeeze it back over the opposite end. Of course, right about then you'll realize you have the hose clamps on in a direction you can't access the tightening screws.

Never again!

I am with Mike D. on this. You need to drain coolant anyway because as soon as you loosen the water pump, coolant will flow, so you might as well pull the lower radiator hose and drain it all before starting the job. And on my old 250C M110 engine, it was four bolts for the shroud, two rubber clamps, and the radiator lifted straight out. A small effort well spent when I replaced my water pump on that car. Last thing I want is a misaligned bolt and stripped thread during reassembly.

Bert

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'70 111 280SE/c 3.5 (4 spd manual) - sold
'63 MGB
'73 MGBGT V8

Thanks for both responses. I'll remove the radiator then. And for replacing that short hose from the pump housing to thermostat housing, which housing is less painful to remove?

And any recommendations for brand of water pump? (I talked to the MBZ dealer today and was told they sell only rebuilt water pumps, but they don't know who does the rebuilding). It's my fear of made-in-China thing.

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Try Fastlane ("and now, a word for our sponsors") for the pump, thermo and gaskets.

I believe it was easier to pull the thermo housing. It's been a while and I don't remember if I had the A/C bracket still on the car. It will all depend on your A/C bracket. Some of the early style brackets were huge and completely enclosed the front of the engine.

Keep your tap and die set handy to clean out the holes for the mounting bolts. When you replace the water pump bolts use a dab of neverseize on their threads.

Check for corrosion on the thermo housing where the short hose connects. It's pretty common and can be quite severe. The housings are still available but I have fixed/improvised them using J-B weld.

Thanks, Mike. I ask because it appears that the pump housing is simply bolted to the block and not to a passage to the water jacket, as is the thermo housing.

By the way, the Cincy MBZ dealer told me that MBZ policy is that after buying a part from them and if it fails within the first year I believe he said, they will replace it free (part & labor) - no matter who originally installed it. This is news to me, but he said it has always been.

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