Yes, I used the search. No, I did not find a thread.

Thanks in advance!

 

Yes there is, it's in the factory shop manual.

 

Yup. Its actually pretty easy to install.
Here is a guide from the shop manual:

That is basically it.
Only thing the above guide doesn't mention is to remove the battery, the battery box, and drain the coolant.

 

I just did it this weekend. It was actually not bad. Just make sure you have a big drip pan because it is messy.

Adjusting the tension on the Alternator/Water Pump pulley was obnoxiously easy!

Also, don't forget to turn your wheel from lock to lock, then pump your brakes x20. I forgot this and completely panicked when i say warning lights. But after I did ^, everything was good.

Remember it can take a few engine cycles for your coolant to go from your reservoir into the cooling system.


Antifreeze will pour out when you pull the pump off even if you drained your coolant. So expect your engine bay to smell until it burns away.

 

Obnoxiously easy?

You get annoyed unless things are exceptionally difficult?

 

Drain the coolant from the engine drain (near the starter harness ground) and it will be considerably less messy.

 

Is a gear puller required to get the water pump pulley off? Or, does it come off easily? I see from the shop manual pic it is attached to the pump by an off center bolt - is this all that is holding it to the pump?

 

Only three bolts hold the pulley onto the water pump.
After those are out it simply comes off.
Trick is loosening the bolts without spinning the pulley.
I apply more tension to the drive belt (using the alternator) until the pulley doesn't spin while trying to loosen the bolts.

 

excellent, thanks much!

 

Need help removing the entire housing to get to a broken bolt in the block.

 

Another Tension bolt broke ?

 

I was removing my engine hoist bracket and when was putting the bolts back in it broke. So now I have to take off the whole front assembly to get to the bolt.

 

I am getting ready to replace my pump with a Mazdamart unit. Does this come with a gasket? Is sealant required or is it a rubber gasket or O-ring. Maybe sounds like a dumb question, but I have never had a mazda before much less an RX.

 

This high flow RE-medy water pump is designed to prevent cavitation at engine speeds as high as 10000 rpm. It is a direct fitment, as OEM and comes with a new Mazda OEM gasket. Taken directly from their website. Please read and not bump ancient threads

 

Sorry for missing the fact that it had a gasket. I have read a lot on the water pump but could not find if the gasket is rubber or paper or other and if it requires some kind of sealant. If it does require sealant what is the spec?

 

you don't need sealant, but some people like me always like to have a little extra insurance. RTV is cheap anyway.

and the gasket is made of metal.

 

Thanks a million for the explanation and recommendation! Will do it that way. It makes a lot of sense.

 

By the way, is there a specific RTV we should use on this gasket? I have used blue RTV in the past for water pumps but I don't have a lot of experience with the rotary.

 

I use a very little bit of black

 

black stuff works just fine, but u can always use the stuff designed for coolant/water pump

 

^^sorry guys, very bad advice

DO NOT USE SEALANT. The gasket is designed to eliminate sealant. Doing so only creates a fubar mess the next time the WP needs to be replaced. Never had one leak. Just use a new one every time. If you do have a leak after then you just did something stupid.

 

Like Frank's Red Hot..."I put that **** on everything"

 

it does requires more work, and yes I know the metal gasket is designed to eliminate RTV, just like the front cover gasket, like i said it's just an extra insurance.

i seen metal gasket fail before it's really rare, but it does happen. how? I really have no idea, I didn't do that install. but if he had some RTV in place, he doesn't have to tow his car to me.