1995 Camry waterpump/radiator Help 5S-FE (GEN3)

[Joe Can Do It]

My Camry needed a new water pump and radiator and was also leaking some oil on the passenger side. I thought the oil leak was from the oil pan but when I got the lower timing belt cover off during the water pump replacement, I realized it was the oil pump shaft seal and O-Ring. It took me a while but I followed two of the great threads here with photos and got everything installed! I even did my Crankshaft seal while I was in there because it came with the seal kit for the oil pump work!

I did run into one snag when I was reseating the water pump cover/housing and it is now haunting me! The O-ring in the back had fallen out while I was reinstalling it, I thought I reseated the O-ring but after I had tightened the water by-pass pipe nuts and a few of the water pump bolts, I noticed a piece of the ring was in the inlet, I removed the water pump and took the top nut back off the water by-pass pipe and when I was trying to remove the lower nut it stripped. I do not know if I pinched the O-ring in the process (I think I did now). After a good cry, I noticed I was able to still move the housing/cover around, I was back in business! and also thought I had once again got the O-ring in place and proceeded forward; installed the water pump, did the timing belt and timing, checked it and put the lower timing cover back on. It was time to start the engine and check the timing one last time before I went ahead and put the whole thing back together.

When I was filling the radiator and almost had a gallon in, coolant started free flowing out of the housing area. What should I do? Is it the O-ring? Did I miss something? I noticed the water pump came with a tapered head screw, did I not install a screw I was supposed to? Is there a pressure release that blew that I am not aware of? I am planning to take it apart again tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to just buy the O-Ring?

This is my plan, please review it and advise me if I should go a different route or if I missed something mentioned above:

1. I am going to remark my timing belt and remove it, it should be an easy re-install and check on the way back. 2. I am going to remove the water pump bolts and the top water by-pass nut, move the entire cover/housing while keeping the pump attached and attempt to slip in a new O-ring and reassemble.

few other questions:

1. to test the timing, I can run the engine. Can that be done without the crank pully bolted in and the power steering belt attached?

2. can I use a few dabs of bearing grease to hold the water pump cover/housing O-Ring in place or will that botch the seal?

3. I was thinking a small pair of needle-nose vice grips would work to get the stripped lower by-pass pipe nut off, I was also thinking I could move the air-conditioner compressor out of the way to get more clearance? Are there any other suggestions to get the nut off? Can I replace the nut with a new one from the hardware store or do I have to buy one from the Toyota dealership or parts place?

4. Will I be able to buy just the O-ring or a gasket kit from the parts place or do I have to buy another water pump?

Thanks in advance for any help! -Joe

[Joe Can Do It]

I used the old O-Ring and it worked! When I got the new one out it was severely pinched, as I had thought. I tried to remove the stripped lower nut at the bypass pipe and made a mess of it, the vice grips didn't work, I tried drilling it out and hit the threaded shaft, oh well, I'll worry about it next water pump, go find myself a cover at the junk yard or leave it be.

The car is running great, fans work, air works, heat works, but I am getting boiling coolant at the overflow tank. The temperature gauge has not worked since we bought the car, it always reads all the way to top HOT? Is there a way I can fix it? I read the thread about the coolant boiling and think I will try bleeding the air out of the system first, as CWH5 has suggested, if that doesnt work I will buy a new cap. When I did the pump I replaced the thermostat with a brand new one. Is the temp sensor I'm going to remove to bleed, the one I need to replace for my gauge to work correctly? Thank you!

[CWH5]

Bleed the system first. The sensor you are removing to bleed is the temp sensor for the ECM (2 wire,dark green connector). The sensor for the temp gage is right next to it, Its a single wire( yellow with green stripe), Unplug this and turn the key on and check your gage, it should now be reading cold, if it is get a new sensor, if its not then you prob have a short to ground in the wire or a bad gage.

P/S, Note to all, Always use alittle grease to hold O-Rings in place (water pump, oil pump "spaghetti" O-Ring), and a slight bit on the O-Ring for the back of the pump(heater tube) to keep it from rolling and getting pinched.

[Joe Can Do It]

Panic! Car started running bad and stalling...

I bled the coolant system, as suggested. The wire housing/connector for the ECM sensor would not snap back into place snugly like when I removed it! After 2 weeks the car started acting strangely, it would almost stall when slowing way down around corners at low speeds or at stop signs and is now skipping at high speeds (50-60 mph). The car usually starts right up, it took me a few seconds of turning the crank to get her going, she also started very slow rpms, usually she idles around 1100 rpm when you start her and then goes down to 750-800rpm when she warms. She was clunking at 400-500rpms; when I went under hood I moved that wire housing/connector going to ECM sensor and she started idling correctly! What is wrong? Did I break something when I bled the system? I also need to add some differential fluid or transmission fluid? I dont think this is a drive-train thing but when I replaced the radiator some of that fluid drained out, I don't know what kind of fluid it is, I would assume it is transmission? please advise. It has also been extremely humid, damp and wet for over a week now here in the north-east. I dont know what ECM means =)? please advise. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[AliRazoR]

what ECM means =Engine Control Module

[AliRazoR]

for cold start problem check this

[Joe Can Do It]

A further investigation has revealed that the ECM temp sensor that I removed to bleed the coolant system (as discussed in this thread) seems to have broken or come apart where the wire connector housing connects/touches the threaded nut, it doesn't look broken, it looks like it came apart, can I superglue it? I doubt this is something I can buy at a parts store, I'm calling now? I'm tempted to glue it !!

[Joe Can Do It]

That turned out to be an $85 mistake to replace the broken sensor; apparently this temp sensor also assist with the EFI, just fortunate that the dealer had one instock!

[reluctantmechanic]

thanks for the follow up