KEEPING
DELTAS
DRIVING
Lancia Delta Integrale specialists and enthusiasts
Water pump
As you might read on another page, I've taken the engine out of an Evo2, to repaint the car properly.
Having the engine out in the open makes replacing its parts much easier. So while it's out I'll do the clutch, service the alternator and renew the belts and water pump. So here goes!
A lovely box of new parts from AE Car
Against advice, I once fitted new belts to a Delta without renewing the water pump. Far away from home the pump sprang a leak, and had to be fixed, I think all the wiggling about disturbs the seal. This was of course, very expensive. So, as advised by experts, I always replace the water pump with a belt change.
So, remove the plastic belt shroud, remove the rocker cover centre plug cover, take the spark plugs out and gently put a long screwdriver down no1 plug hole, rotate the bottom pulley until all the wheel marks line up. Rotate back and forwards a bit and watch the screwdriver, it should stop at its highest point when all the marks line up. This is a good physical check that the engine is at TDC.
Tippex all the marks, then remove the outer bottom pulley, slacken off both belt tensioners, take off the balancer belt then undo that bottom pulley, this big central bolt is a left hand thread, and will be tight. With the engine out, you will be planning to replace the clutch, ideally you'll have removed the gearbox and clutch by now, so screw 2 spare bolts into the flywheel clutch bolt holes. Take a length of timber and brace the engine to stop it turning, you will then have no trouble undoing the bottom pulley bolt, and tightening it up again. Remove the sprocket wheel then the cam belt from the small inner pulley. The alternator is already removed from this engine, but that should be slack too for belt removal.
Now all is scarily revealed! All the cogs and wheels unconnected, but you've marked everything, so it'll go back ok! You may now remove the water pump.
Each water pump bolt is a different size, so as you remove them keep them in order. The water outlet pipe attaches to the pump with 2 different size bolts also, usefully. When the engine is out you can choose to remove this pipe at the pump, or split the joint at the rubber hose around the back. I chose the latter.
The rubber T hose fitting had broken off, I saw a replacement on Walkers website, I avoid Walkers due to their high parts cost, but this pipe replacement was cheap enough (£30 ish), and looked good and durable.
So I undid the pump to engine bolts, then split the pump pipe at the old hose, and detached the curved ally pipe from the pump body on the bench. I gave the surfaces a good clean, and polished up the curved pipe a bit. Refitting the pump out of the car meant I could bolt the curved pipe on to the new pump off the car, making sure the gasket was Hylomar-ed and properly in place. I assembled the Walkers pipe, put a new gasket on the pump housing and manipulated all into place.
The pump bolts go through the water jacket, so they will be corroded on removal, give these a good wire brushing, mine had plumbers tape on them! probably a step too far. Clean the bolts, then apply some Hylomar before replacing them, keeping all in order of course.
I cleaned and painted this tin belt shield shown above, the pump pipe flange top bolt locates the shield, but a previous mechanic had cut the corner off, it is a twat to fit back with the motor in the car. It's Hammerited now, no one will see it though!
Tighten the pump up, the bolts go into the steel block, so they can be good and tight. Don't forget to fit the shield mounting bracket at the bottom of the pump.
As you know, a Delta is so packed with components, all have to be replaced in a certain order, I've often fitted something, then had to take it off again to fit an item behind it. So, don't fit the pump drive wheel until last, nor the outer bottom pulley wheel, you'll need to get at bolts behind them.
Fit the cam belt and tighten it with the new tensioner bearing that came with the belt kit. There are 2 holes in this bearing face, tighten the centre nut to friction, then put a bolt in each hole, insert a good screwdriver and turn the bearing, this'll tension the belt, when it's tight nip up the centre nut. In the absense of a tension guage, a good tension is when you can just twist the belt to 60 degrees between the cam wheels. I'll be advised otherwise if anyone knows better!
Put the balancer belt drive sprocket to its marks over the cam sprocket, fit the centre bolt and tighten to 190Nm, this is about a 4ft length of scaffold pole torque. The left hand balancer wheel lines up with a mark on the water pump above the lh bolt hole, the right wheel mark is on the metal front cover, fit the belt, keeping to the marks. Tension up the centre bolt to friction then put a good sized long allen key in the hole and turn the bearing until the belt is at tension, tighten the centre bolt to 44Nm, then fit the outer flat belt drive wheel, fit the 4 bolts and tighten them to 23Nm.
Give all the nuts and bolts a nip up to torque, the pump body bolts should be 25Nm. Now fit the water pump drive pulley, I gave mine a clean up and spray of primer, just to show I'd been there! Torque the little bolts to 23Nm.
Remove the screwdriver from the spark plug hole and gently turn the engine twice, if nothing catches, you've done it! Turn it a few more times and check if all the marks line up at TDC, if they don't line up slacken the tensioner off and adjust, it's easy to fix now
After all the turning, check the belt tensions once more, too tight and they'll strain the cam bearings, too loose and they'll skip a tooth. Give your bolts one last check also, and it's done. You can replace the plastic cover.
This cam belt and pump job is probably the most important task for an Integrale owner.
I did the same job 3 months ago, on another Evo, with the engine in situ. Having the engine out makes it much easier, if you combine this job with a clutch replacement and some inner engine bay repairs, the time and trouble saved is worth dropping the engine for.
These bolts can be difficult to get in, the last one never seems to pick up its thread.Turn the wheel 1 hole and try again, they are a precision fit.
No one will see this lovely wheel until the next time it's changed, it'll be dirty again by then.