How to replace the pump on a VAZ-2109 yourself

How to find out what exactly the pump on 2109 has failed

The main problem that prevents the continued use of a water pump is its loss of tightness, which leads to the leakage of working fluid. Slightly less often, problems are caused by bearing wear.

In the first case, the pump remains suitable, therefore the easiest way to protect the power unit from overheating is to regularly restore the volume of liquid in the cooling system. This measure, however, gives only a temporary effect, since the leak will intensify day by day.

Bearing damage is much more serious. At first, this element signals its wear and tear with a fairly loud noise. If you do nothing, the destructive process will accelerate, and, most likely, the matter will end in the complete destruction of the part. The backlash formed in it is manifested by the following signs:

• loud grinding noise;
• pump jamming.

Ultimately, the likelihood of the drive belt breaking or even damaging the engine valves increases.

The pump installed on 2109 cannot be repaired, and therefore, if its improper operation is detected, the unit is dismantled and a new one is installed in its place.

The procedure, fortunately, is not particularly complicated, which means that replacement with a VAZ can be done without going to a car repair shop. The pump is located in an easily accessible place and no overall engine components (for example, a carburetor) will have to be touched.

How to avoid problems with your pump?

Of course, this part itself is not too expensive (900-1500 rubles), but the peculiarities of the replacement do not allow us to call this process pleasant. Therefore, it is quite logical to try to avoid problems with this structural element. Let's look at the main causes of breakdowns:

• Natural wear and tear
  . Like any other part, the water pump has its own resource. This figure is usually estimated at 70,000 kilometers;
• Operating the engine at extreme conditions. The pump is driven by the crankshaft. Accordingly, the number of revolutions directly depends on the engine. Those who like to drive at high speeds wear out the pump bearing much faster. If you want to change the pump less often, then it makes sense to stick to a more relaxed driving style;
• Cooling system contamination
  . During engine operation, salts and rust are deposited in its coolant passages. The same applies to the pump. There were cases when the pump was simply clogged with various dirt and it could not cope with the job. This caused the bearing to break. Also, if the system is clogged, the operation of the pump becomes more difficult, which can lead to problems. To avoid problems, periodically flush the cooling system.

Conclusion

. Cooling system malfunctions should be corrected as quickly as possible. Otherwise, your engine will fail quite quickly. Therefore, replacing the pump on VAZ 2109 and 21099 should not be shelved. The faster you do it, the better. This work in itself is not particularly difficult. It also makes sense to take care of extending the life of the pump; to do this, you should follow simple rules.

What you need for work

To replace the pump on your VAZ-2109, you need to prepare some tools and materials. In particular, you will need:

• heads and wrenches (socket and socket) 17 mm and 10;
• knob;
• wide flat-tip screwdriver;
• sharp knife;
• wiping ends;
• capacity up to 10 liters for liquid;
• silicone neutral sealant;
• jack and additional support for the car;
• new pump with gasket.

Replacing the VAZ-2109 carburetor pump should be carried out on a level surface. In summer it is not forbidden to work outdoors, but in winter it is better to use a warm garage.

Diagnosing water pump faults

The design of the water pump is quite simple. In most cases, the bearing on which the impeller rotates fails. There are two possible types of failure, varying in severity.

1. The bearing has failed. In this case, the motor begins to “squeal” - make a loud, high-pitched sound. The source of the “squealing” is usually located at the front of the engine near the timing belt. As the rpm increases, the sound frequency increases, and as the rpm decreases, it decreases.
2. The bearing is stuck. This happens after prolonged use of a pump with a worn bearing. The “squealing” suddenly stops, but the engine temperature rises sharply. The pump stops working, and the coolant continues to move slowly through the channels without pressure. This, of course, is not enough to cool the engine. If such a situation arises, you should drive at low speeds and with frequent stops to the nearest car service center.

If the liquid level in the expansion tank is normal, but the coolant is boiling and steam is coming from the air valve, do not rush to open the cap. Firstly, you can get burned by the steam. Secondly, boiling antifreeze can burst out in a stream. You need to wait a certain time for the coolant to cool down and only then unscrew the expansion tank cap.

There is another way to check the pump's performance. To do this, you need to partially pinch the thick hose going from the engine to the radiator with your hand and start the engine at idle speed. If the hose pulsates under your fingers, the pump is in working condition. If there is no pulsation, the impeller does not rotate and the pump is faulty. To avoid injury, such diagnostics should be carried out very carefully, without touching the rotating fan with your hands. You need to compress the hose by 10–20% - this is enough to feel the pulsation of the coolant. You should also not touch the engine with your hands - you can get burned.

Then, after removing the protective plastic casing above the belt, you need to inspect the pump mounting location. Typically, when a bearing fails, characteristic leaks appear on the axis of rotation. Under the influence of vibration, the oil seal is deformed. It may look dry, but it leaves a dirty brown mark on the body. This indicates that coolant leakage occurs at high speeds. When the engine is not running, the fluid does not flow out, and the leak area dries out.

The serviceability of the bearing can be checked by rocking the pump drive pulley by hand. To do this you will have to remove the transmission belt. If the bearing is worn out, then when you rock the gear by hand, a certain amount of play will be noticeable, which should not be there.

Preparatory activities

First of all:

• position the car in a place convenient for you and be sure to set the handbrake;
• make sure the gear lever is in neutral;
• If the machine has been used recently, wait until its power unit has cooled down.

Next, drain the coolant from the system. For this:

• move the heater adjustment lever to the right until it stops;
• remove the ignition mechanism with the bracket holding it;
• in the engine compartment, unscrew the coolant reservoir cap;
• find the drain hole (it is located at the bottom of the cylinder block);
• place the container;
• remove the plug;
• wait until the antifreeze has completely drained out;
• Wipe the engine dry if liquid gets on it.

An important point is that when the coolant is very dirty, it would be advisable to flush the entire system.

Purpose and design of the pump

The water pump is the most important element of the engine cooling system. Its main function is forced circulation of coolant through two circuits - small and large. On an unheated engine, antifreeze circulates in a small circle - from the water jacket of the engine to the radiator of the cabin heater and the carburetor cooling unit (or the throttle valve on the VAZ 21099 injector). When operating temperature is reached, the thermostat opens a large circuit and coolant begins to circulate through the main radiator.

The water pump impeller, driven by the timing belt, forces antifreeze to circulate through the cooling system.

If the pump fails, the movement of coolant through the channels will stop, and the engine will inevitably overheat. Aluminum pistons expanding in volume will damage the cylinder walls and compression will be lost. In this case, a major overhaul of the engine will be required, which is several times more expensive than the cost of a new pump.

The water pump has a fairly simple device

The VAZ 2108 water pump consists of a housing with a flange attached to the cylinder block with three bolts. Inside the pump, a shaft with an impeller and a drive gear in the form of a toothed pulley is installed on bearings. To prevent antifreeze from flowing out through the pump shaft, the device is equipped with an oil seal.

The service life of the pump depends on the performance of two parts - bearings and oil seal. As soon as one of these elements fails, it must be replaced or repaired.

Roller bearing life determines pump longevity

Replacing the VAZ-2109 pump

To carry out the replacement, it is necessary to remove the timing belt protective cover. It is held in place by 3 bolts - unscrew them with a 10 mm wrench. Next, the cover is dismantled and placed next to it, since there are marks on it that help set the TDC of the first cylinder.

Now, holding the crankshaft by the pulley, turn it until the notch on the camshaft gear coincides with the convex point located on its rear cover. Upon completion of the described manipulations, the casing is returned to its place, but not screwed, since you only need to make sure that the marks on it coincide with the position of the pulley.

It is also advisable to look into the inspection slot of the clutch housing - there the notches should similarly coincide. If this does not happen, you will have to turn the crankshaft some more.

At the next stage, arm yourself with a 17 mm wrench and use it to unscrew the nut holding the tension roller. The last element must be completely removed - be sure to check its functionality (unimpeded rotation and absence of play indicate serviceability).

Remove the transmission belt from the camshaft gear and throw it down. Now, using the same 17 mm wrench, remove the bolt holding the above-mentioned sprocket. To prevent it from spinning, wedge it with a screwdriver. Carefully remove the gear and be careful not to lose the locking key.

All that remains is to remove the nut and 3 more bolts that secure the rear camshaft cover - here you will need a ten key. After dismantling the named part, the pump can be removed quite easily - you just need to unscrew the elements that secure it.

Proceed to remove the pump - you will not be able to do this with your bare hands. First, it is pryed up with a screwdriver and torn from its place, and then a jack is placed under the engine (exactly where the failed unit is located). The 2109 engine is raised a little - this allows you to increase the gap between it and the fender liner, without which it is simply impossible to move the pump.

When the assembly is dismantled, the installation site should be cleaned, since often part of the old sealing gasket sticks and peels off. This can be done conveniently with a regular knife. Upon completion of the action, everything must be wiped thoroughly with a dry, clean cloth.

The new unit is mounted with the marking facing up (it is located at the end). Tighten the retaining bolts thoroughly, but be careful - they are screwed into the aluminum. Further work is performed in the reverse order to that described.

Pump location

The water pump is installed on the right (in the direction of travel) side of the engine under a plastic cover. There is also a gas distribution mechanism that drives the pump toothed pulley through a belt. This arrangement creates a number of problems.

1. To inspect the pump you have to remove the plastic casing.
2. Due to a leaky seal and a small leak, antifreeze gets onto the belt, which quickly fails.
3. If the bearing is severely worn, the shaft may jam, and the timing belt may jump off or break. In 90% of cases this leads to pistons hitting the valves, and subsequently to expensive repairs.

The coolant pump is installed on the right side of the engine

For these reasons, it is necessary to periodically (every 10–15 thousand kilometers) inspect the gas distribution mechanism for belt tension and pump performance.

Assembly nuances

When returning drive belt 2109 to its place, make sure that all marks on the crankshaft are in the correct position. If they move, you will have to spend additional time adjusting both the ignition and the gas distribution system.

When the tension roller is put in place, do not forget to also make sure that the belt does not dangle on it.

Sometimes, after the reassembly is completed, the car does not want to start or starts poorly. This symptom indicates that the belt is installed incorrectly. To fix the situation:

• remove it from the gear;
• turn it literally a couple of millimeters;
• put the belt back in place.

How to remove the coolant pump?

It may be difficult to remove the pump yourself if you are doing it for the first time:

1. Disconnect power from the battery (disconnect the negative terminal).
2. Drain all coolant.
3. After this, remove the timing belt along with the tension rollers. If necessary, replace them with a functional one.
4. Remove the camshaft gear.
5. Then unscrew the five nuts to gain access to the pump.

The final removal of the pump must be done carefully, as the pump may be damaged. Clean the threads from metal shavings and corrosion residues. If necessary, restore the thread.

Self-diagnosis

Based on indirect signs, one can guess whether the pump needs to be replaced, but this issue can only be more accurately understood by removing and inspecting this unit from all sides. You can preliminary judge the condition of the pump only by some indirect signs. For example, when the engine is operating in normal mode, a pump malfunction may be indicated by the temperature of the upper radiator hose and the presence of liquid in it. The hose must be warm. This can be determined by touch.

An external inspection can easily determine the condition of the oil seal. To do this, just remove the timing cover and inspect the oil seal hole. If there were leaks, deposits of a characteristic color will tell you about it.