Hey Guys,
My R53 is leaking coolant pretty badly and the mechanic I saw told me that there is a leak in the water pump, and that it would cost around $1200 to fix. I'm thinking of trying to replace the pump myself, but I haven't been able to find a DIY guide anywhere. I was wondering if you guys know of a DIY guide, or if anyone can give me a few tips, or let me know if there are any special tools required.

Thanks!

 

I also had a pretty bad coolant leak and took my 06 R53 to the dealer to check it out as i also assumed it was the water pump. I was told and I later checked in my Bentley that the water pump is attached to the supercharger housing and is a PITA to replace and almost a full day's labor charge, hence the $1200. I seem to remember that there is a thread on here about replacing the water pump, but I don't recall ever seeing a DIY sticky with pics.

 

A full day of labor these days is getting ridiculous.


While you're in there, might as well re-lube your supercharger. I haven't replaced the water pump yet, but from what I've read it's not very difficult. Some people have claimed to do it without removing the SC and going into service mode, but if I were you, I'd take the extra time to go ahead and put some fresh oil in the the SC.

Here's a link for, if nothing, a little inspiration on tackling the job yourself. Please do keep us posted.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...pump-leak.html

 

The thread title something to the effect of..A girls guide to service mode... Is a pretty good start on how to prep the car....service mode is not hard to get into...but it looks pretty crazy.

 

So I ended up buying the bentley service manual from amazon for around $90, and I picked up the new water pump from the dealer for around $160. A friend and I finished the entire job in around 6 hours. Everything seems to be fine so far, and I havn't detected any more leaks.

It really wasn't a very hard repair, just a little bit time consuming. The bently guide is a really good tool to guide you through the process. I was able to replace the water pump without taking off the supercharger, or the intake manifold. Once the front bumper came off, I took off the bumper carrier, the radiator, put the AC condenser aside while it was still attached, then took off a few of the intake hoses and was able to reach the water pump. After a quick swap and reassembly the job was done!

I encourage anybody with the same problem to take on the job themselves!

 

Any chance you took some pics?

 

How did you refill the lubricant that goes in the casing between the SC and the water pump?