Did an unexpected water pump replacement this weekend. Took about 8hrs total, and it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. While I don't have the time, information, or pictures necessary to do a real DIY/How-to, here are a few tips.

- if you see coolant all of the front of your engine block, and leaking down onto the oil pan area, your water pump has probably failed.

- when you buy the water pump, get a second o-ring for the back side of the water pump flange. The pump doesn't come with one for the back of the flange, only for the pump itself.

- remove the entire front-end. You won't be able to do it easily in service mode, and it's not that much more work to just remove the radiator and the modular front end. When you do this, just maneuver the A/C to the side and set it on a bucket.

- You're going to need a set of Torx heads and some long extensions (for bleeding coolant, etc.).

- you don't have to remove the super charger output pipe that runs into the intercooler, you don't even need to loosen it.

- you don't need to fully remove the supercharger. Just remove all the bolts so it's loose and you can jimmy it around just enough to slide the water pump out.

- there are a LOT of bolts that you'll be removing - be diligent about bagging and tagging.

- buy yourself some new hose clamps, the worm kind. Replace as you go, especially the ones on the air intake pipe.

- when you get ready to bleed, don't forget there are 2 bleed screws (on top radiator hose and behind and below intercooler (hard to see, you have to remove the intercooler cover to see it, you'll need a 12" extension to get it). Also, it can take awhile for the new coolant to circulate, so bleeding can take awhile.

 

I hope you checked your SC fluids while you had the waterpump out.

 

I noticed that Pelican parts has a DIY article on the fuel pump with an estimated time of 3 hours to replace the water pump..wow !

 

I think Pelican instructions has you remove the intake manifold if I remember correctly. When I pulled mine to check my SC fluids, I didn't remove my intake manifold off. Taking your time and being cautious is about a 3 hour job. It's a very straight forward process though so it's not bad at all. Just a lot of parts to remove to get to it.

 

I don't think the water pump can be done in 3hrs, even by a master mechanic. The dealer says 5-6 hours for them to do it. You'll spend 3hrs just taking the front end apart.

 

Well, now that you've done one.....

I think I could do one in about 3 hours.......once you've been in there it's not such a mystery. If you've had 10 or 20 front ends off you know where all the 'secret" fasteners are and where they go - that speeds things up considerably.

I did a water pump, crank sensor o-ring and fan replacement and new belt and tensioner in about 4 hours.

At any rate, I'm glad to see that you got it on the road again, now to tyour brakes!

 

I'm pretty sure I can take the front end apart in less than an hour. Like mentioned above, once you've done it once, all the guess work is gone and you'll know exactly which parts to remove in sequence to make it easier to get to the water pump. It's really not a difficult job. I would look for an independent MINI if your dealer is seriously trying to charge you 5-6hrs.

 

PO of my MINI was billed 7 hours for the Waterpump R&R last month so at least I will nto have to worry about it for a while.

 

Just had mine changed by an independent mechanic that works on Mini's and Bmw's and he charged 3 hrs labour.
Just the damn pump itself cost me about $320.... Labour was only 150$

 

$320 for the pump is nuts. I bought mine at the dealer and paid like $115 or something.

 

Maybe you're right, if you've done it numerous times. I don't think a first timer could do it that fast, especially if you've never had the front end off. It's kind of a goofy process the first time around.

 

Ya I know... He screwed me good on the pump.

 

But $50/hr for labor is cheap, at least in my area.

 

Yeah but it sounds like the cost of the part was offset by the cheap labor cost. Maybe you have the numbers around. $150 for the part and $320 for the labor.

 

Ya 50$/hr is cheap here also. I think the dealer in my area charges about 140$/hr.... Which is just nuts.