My wife's van broke down and I was able to fix it using this video and one other video. You did a very nice job of explaining the process step by step. I have a 2001 Chrysler town and country with a 3.8 V6 and there was no need to drop the motor. With just a small amount of maneuvering the water pump came out past the frame and went back in easily as well. Thanks!
THANK YOU!!! I am not a mechanic, and I am not in the position where I can afford to hire one. I just changed the water pump in my 2001 Dodge Caravan (3.3 flex fuel) using the instructions in this video; it took only 2.5 hours to complete the work and the job was easier than it looks in the video. Again, THANK YOU!!!!
Shawn, My daughter and I had a blast replacing the water pump yesterday. It was in a 1998 3.3L engine, which is different from later model you demonstrated, but you gave us enough so that we were able to tackle it and solve the problem in 3 hours. It took a little time, but we included a trip to the parts store, and lunch. Ours was on the right, with no track. It sat on a "bell" pulley. I did watch another video. It had the pump on the right side, under the wheel-well. Kudos to you!
Dude you just saved me from taking my van to the dealer. I have a book and the book says NOTHING about dropping the engine. I had it all taken apart and could not get the pump out. THANK YOU! GREAT video.
You sir are a life saver.. I had the pump half out when I realized that I could not get it out.. your video saved me about 200 bucks from having it towed to the local belle tire to have repaired. You ROCK!
Completed this yesterday on my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. This video helped greatly! I did not have to lower the engine, instead we used a crowbar and was able to apply enough pressure to move the engine just enough to not have to remove the engine mounts. Replaced the radiator hoses, serpentine belt, and thermostat as well. Thanks Shawn, couldn't have done it without a video like this.
Used your video to instruct me, on Christmas Eve. The most freightening part was takng out those engine bolts and dropping the engine. I am not a mechanic! You covered everything i needed to know. Just wish my arm had 12 more elbows, to bend enough, to get that last bolt loose and reinstalled. Everything else was a breeze after that.
I had to change the water pump and the inlet pipe on my 2002 caravan, i also put a new serpentine belt on.. I watch your video twice and did exactly what you said to do.. I cant say enough Thank you for helping me and others. It hard enough to work on cars , but to take the time to show what your doing , shows your a very good person that enjoys helping others .much appreciated.
It is really awesome that videos from "ago" are still available. My 05 T&C 3.8L just about defeated me. Getting the pump/pulley out ended up breaking the old pump. Too dark and too cold to try and finish, so sat down and did a bit more research and found your vid. This was a lifesaver. Not finished yet, but the motor mount trick will get it done. Thank you!!
The van I have has over 300,000 miles in it and it runs like a dream. I found another one for sale cheap because the water pump was leaking and I didn't know if I wanted to tackle something like that but I wanted the van for a back up. So after watching your video I'm confident I can change it so I'm gonna go ahead and buy the other one and fix it it only has 120,000 miles on it and I know what good motors they are. Thank you for taking the time to show us how to do this.
ShawnCFarm ibe worked on cars my while life and I've changed some bad water pumps in my time..im sure I can handle it..i appreciate the advice and I enjoyed watching the video..it gave me some confidence that's for sure.
Just replaced mine on 2004 Dodge 3.8/V6 per this video. Me, I removed belt by rotating the belt tensioner by prying against it with handle end of 1/2" breaker bar. Found that I did have to lower the engine about 1 inch to get clearance for taking the water pump out though. I was very happy that I didn't have to take the motor mount bolts all the way out, just loosen them to about an inch of slack to lower the motor and get clearance. Thanks so much for this video, it made the job much easier!
My nephew suggested looking online for clues to help replacing his Caravan water pump I found Shawn's video and it helped shorten our time and frustration. The most helpful clues were dropping the engine, indexing the pulley over its flange, accessing the 5th bolt from the rear, and replacing the belt. Shawn indicated there were multiple ways to do the various steps and we needed to use several variants with our limited tool set. I will go to ShawnCFarm first for future auto tasks.
I had to replace mine in my 2001 3.3L did not really have a clue where to start after watching this video my fears were gone and went smooth as silk getting to the water pump bolts was slow tedious fine thread Thanks a million for the video you saved me hundreds !
You're the man!! Got the pump off but it wasn't coming out. Dropped the engine an inch or two and ... Bob's your uncle ... a little wiggling and out it came. Great video. I was completely stumped. Thx.
After viewing your video I did my water pump and it turned out fantastic. Thanks for all the info and tips. Your video gave me the confidence and information to tackle the job myself and I saved a lot of money by replacing it myself. Thanks so much.
Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you ! I was able to replace the water pump in my 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan in about three hours. I was able to get a belt tool from Canadian Tire (tool loan). I still had too drop the engine because the new pump was a little wider than stock. The back bolt on the pump was very difficult but I used a flexible ratchet wrench that worked. You saved me probably $600 in labour !
Shawn, thank you so much for taking the time to post this video. You saved me! I had to change the water pump on my 2003 Dodge Caravan and had no idea how to lower the engine to get the water pump off the engine block. The frame of the car was in the way. I did exactly as you said and it worked perfectly. Used my floor jack and a small piece of 2 x 6 under the oil pan and lowered it down after loosening the motor mount bolts. Made the job possible. Thanks again!
I love that you cover every thing about the repair , it was extremely helpful. I am a michanic and information is hard to come by I hope peaple.appreciate what you are doing for them, great job. sincerely Jose.
thank you. it was very helpful. today my wife and i are going to attempt this and installing a new radiator along with the front brakes. All I can say is pray for us.
I actually hate doing mechanical work, I'd usually rather pay someone to do it. Since I'm out of work I tore into this job on our '05 Chrysler Town and Country. Wow. NTS I got into more than I expected. Your video is a great help tho... also incredible to watch you do this kind of repair one-handed while holding the camera. Amazing & helpful video... thanks for posting!
Excellent video. I have a 2001 Chrysler T & C (3.3L) The repair shown here is exactly the same for both. Been under it replacing the serpentine belt, only to find out it was popping off because of the water pump, which explains the fact that I have had to fill the coolant once a week. (been putting water in until I found the problem why it was losing fluid (so I spread water into the world not antifreeze). Thanks again for the video.
I really appreciated your video today. I got the pump off the engine, but it wouldn't fit by the frame. By watching your video I learned how to lower the engine enough to get it out. Thanks
Excellent Job Shawn ... I had a hard enough time without the camera. I had to lower the motor for the water pump to clear. Thanks for the tip on bleeding the air out. I can tell you are a good Mechanic because of your tips to lubricate the bolts before installing
This is for the experienced !!! I've found the best way to "burp" air from cooling system is to fill Radiator to about 3" from top. Keep pan underneath to catch any spills. Prep for this procedure. Have Coolant, flashlight, radiator cap, shop rags all within reach. Start engine, turn on heater full hot and watch coolant level. It should begin going up and down as coolant hits thermostat. Hot from engine it starts to open, then cold from radiator makes it close again. Then here's the tricky part which is two handed. If the vehicle has a mechanical throttle, using one hand open throttle to get about 1500 rpm and hold it. The coolant will begin to bounce faster. Eventually you will see squirts from cross tubes in radiator. Again they start and stop. Eventually you will have a steady stream thru them. This is where you take your free hand and fill radiator (still holding at 1500 rpm, throttle hand may be getting tired by now but DON'T LET GO or it will be old faithful geyser. This is the dangerous part) Do this several times till level stabilizes, fill and wait till it is full. Put radiator cap on fully (two notches) and now let off throttle. System is full. Can do this on existing system that is thought to have air lock. Please...Please...Please be careful doing this method. Once hot it with burn you badly.
Very straight forward instructions. Last time I changed a water pump was on my '99 Dodge Grand Caravan, which was easier. Now I have a 2001 and 2003. I going to be changing the serpentine Belt and possibly the alternator on the 2001. This was good to see the whole process.
Absolutely fantastic video not to mention a remarkable demonstration of multitasking, wrench in one hand camera in the other. This video is very helpful because I am about to do the very same job this weekend on my 06 Grand Caravan. I was thinking about taking the Caravan to the shop for the water pump , Seeing this I will do it myself. I had though it might be a nightmare of a job like the some of the jobs I have done on my 02 Ford E250 Tritan V8.Thanks for the great upload.
Very clear instructions! Took the time needed to show how to do the job right. Nice to watch someone go the extra mile to make sure we can do the job right.....Thank you!
good grief this made my life easier just today. helping out a friend in need with an 2002 3.3l and this was perfect. diagnosis: the pully came free of the tabs that are on the outside of the impeller....and took out the freeze plug. NOT pretty....but now i know what to do!!! thank you again- great information.
excellent job! highly recommend to anyone wanting to try DYI with any experience, this is all you need...very thorough and detailed...lots of great tips to watch out for! thanks much
Excellent video Shawn. It was very informative and precise. I got the water pump changed and now my vehicle is running like a champ. Thanks again for sharing this with us.
I was researching before I change mine and I'm glad I found your site first. I don't have to look any further to feel prepared to change my pump. Thanks!
Thank you for the vid. I couldn't have finished the job without watching it. Ran into every possible problem..I.E. The last bolt in the back..getting the pump back in with the clearance that was given..tensioner..bolts having corrosion on the threads and being a pain in the ass to ratchet back in but no matter what I didn't give up. Always 3,4,5, or 6 ways to do the same thing like you said.
Awesome DIY Video. Thank you. This will come in quite handy for me, as I JUST purchased a 2003 with a 3.3L yesterday in Toronto. They were nice enough to replace the pump and alternator for me, but watching this will help in the future. Totally different animal from the 3.0L Learning the differences quite quickly between the 2 (96 & 03) I even noticed that my 97's 3.3L is different than the 03's Whole new kettle of fish. Great work...keep'em coming!
I just did this job and for me it was impossible to get the pump back in without lowering the engine. Thanks for that tip. Just imagine how many total man-hours of labor could have been saved had Chrysler made their engine compartment 1/2 inch wider.
All I can say is thank you... thank you.. thank you for posting this video. I just finished changing my water pump on my Dodge Caravan. I could not have done it with out seeing someone else do it. You have saved me mucho dinero.
I just want to say thanks I have a 2006 grand caravan I watched your video yesterday and did my pump successfully today. The serpentine belt was a little tricky replacing but everything seems good now your video is very informative ...
From one mechanic to another a Big Thank you Shawn , excellent video and thanks for your insight in how to do the job ...... I never done one so far but I'm doing one here at home on tuesday .... take care and God Bless !
Thanks so much ShawnCFarm. This was a great video. It spelled out exactly what I'd run into replacing the water pump and metal inlet tube for my 2005 Grand Caravan SXT, even the dropping the engine piece. I didn't remove the three engine bolts entirely but kept them threaded in about 1/4" and I 'hung' the engine on the longer bolts. That dropped the engine enough to get the pump past the frame. The only thing that is kind of goofy is flushing the system and filling the system again. The draining and filling procedure never added up to the 16 liters my system (with the rear heater core) was supposed to have - according to the manual.
Awesome job on the video. Used this to replace my water pump (which had catastrophic failure) and my lower radiator pipe (heater bypass). My van is a 2005 and has nearly 150K miles. Never would have been able to do this without knowing how easy it was to lower the engine. I was nervous about doing this, but it worked perfectly. Very much appreciated!!!!!
Count me as another beneficiary of the info you've shared in this video. Without your guidance, we would have most likely missed both of my son's soccer tournament games today instead of just the first one. There is one bit of info I'd like to share with others digging into this chore: The water pump and pulley on a 2006 Grand Caravan SXT - 3.8L engine wouldn't come past the frame without dropping the engine about an inch, so even if you don't drop it to get access to the tensioner, you still probably need to drop it to actually swap out the pump. The engine mount bolts are long enough that they didn't have to come all the way out, but the pump refused to pass between the housing and the frame without that step.
good vid, like your attitude, keep going, more than 1 way to do a job ! a couple of points, 1> I try not to put parts on grounds which are dusty, gravelly, I saw you did have a work surface when you worked on the new pump,2> an easier way to "burp" the system, is to fill the system slowly using a funnel, then when topped up run the engine with the rad cap off for a few mins, you'll see the air coming out, stop the engine and re-fit the rad cap, run till warm, cool down, open cap, top-up
Just done a brand new starter in my 2005 and had to pull back out due to it not engaging. But after that I need to do the water pump and I'm definitely going to use your video thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to post videos like this. It truly helps to know exactly what I'm getting myself into, especially on Christmas day in the walmart parking lot with 3 inches of snow on the ground.
man I could not believe how much vehicles change I'm used to working on chevy's and ford's this is a pain in the butt on changing this cause I'm a big guy but thanks for the help it taught me how to do it thanks
That was a first class tutorial. Thank you for the video. I am doing this exact job tomorrow morning and I feel completely confident in the procedure. Thanx again for making the video,
Very well explained I am pretty good mechanic myself and this was exactly how I will be doing my water pump except I will use a 21mm wrench to remove the belt located on the pully (2001 model 3.3L)good job and confidence to never give up anyone can do this we're the smartest living thing's on Earth 💯👊😎 respect
this is a helpful video i learned a lot, thanks. i'am a current student at Lincoln Tech, i study diesel tech. my girl friend owns a 06 dodge grand caravan 3.8L v6 and all i can say is i'd rather work on trucks! MAN there is NO space in the engine compartment of the grand caravan lol. everything is sooo compacted!
Thank you for the encourgment. I feel better knowing it is not in the engine. I did all check pulleys. found water pump to be wobbling. I certainly hope that will be it. I won't be able to do the work for about 10 days because my friend will not be back to left me use his drive way. I live in a condo, they won't let me do any work in parking lot. I wish I had a house without neighbors right next door. I will you know after doing the pump, how things worked. Again thanks for your responses.
I started to watch only because i could not find a video on changing alternator on my 05 caravan although once i started watching i found it to be very good so thank you for sparing you time and showing me the steps i need to take off the serpentine belt so i can change my Alt. thanks again
Dude you are very thorough. Im a diy guy and I know enough to get by on but I like to check out what I'm getting into before I take on a project so I dnt get in over my head and well thanks now I know what to expect
Thank you Shawn C, a good service you provided here. Hope you don't mind if I throw in a little warning to the do it your selfers out in You tube land as to the a snag I ran into. The bottom most mounting bolt in the 6:00 position is right in the way of the stream of drippage caused by the leak. The bolt is steal and both the body of the pump and the structure it mounts to are cast aluminum. Thereby we have dissimilar metals and moisture which leads to galvanic corrosion. As is often the case, the corrosion welded the bolt to the aluminum. I busted the bolt trying to turn it. Please, folks, Heat it up and use penetrating oil and lots of patience on that sucker. Gather your exertion gradually, and pray that the rest of your vehicle is more well engineered than the distribution of those bolts. Thanks again Shawn C. Would like to work with you some time.
I'm glad you got it out, because today the same exact thing happened to me. Now I have to drill and get a kit. How did you drill because of the tight place. Those bolts aren't very good.
Very helpful! I just changed the water pump on a 2001 3.8 T&C. I got the bolts removed but had to lower the engine to get the pump out. Then I got the belt back on my going under the idler pulley at the top after threading all the other pulleys.
Great video! I didn't realize that the water pump had been moved to the back on the later model 3.8 liter minivan engines. The Gen III minivans had the pump at the front and it was easy. I think I'll stick with them. But again - great job on the video!
Great video Shawn! I love these vans. Ive had dozens of them I am a used car dealer and these are all I buy. Never had any motor problems. only 1 had transmission issues. Thank you for posting this!
Mine is a 2005 so I'd have to check for differences, but I'm pretty sure it would be just about the same as this. Either way, this video presents as just about exactly how my brother and I would be doing it in my driveway. The explanations and specifications are clear (except for torque spec's) which makes this one of the best videos I've seen for water pump r&r. Thanks. Very helpful.
Your video was helpful. But my new installation had pump wobble when running....longitudinally, or "out of round". But I discovered the pulley isnt self centering, so when you put the "no so tight" fitting bolts back in, its possible to get it off center. I loosened the bolts, checked trueness with a screwdriver braced against the crossmember....once it turned true, tightened the bolts back up and voila, no more wobble. Saved me exchanging the pump, when that wasnt the cause.
Thanking this man for sharing his knowledge with us all. This is a fairly complicated change out for a beginner to attempt. Not something a person should try without having prior knowledge and some proper tools. At least this video gives you a good insight into what you are up against...Thanks to the poster....
I have a 2003 grand caravan w/ 3.8 V6 engine. the 3.3 are very similar. I'm fixing to replace the water pump in mine. Thank you for the video. Very informative.
Nice video. I own a mobile repair business and work on the ground daily. I have done over a dozen of these and never touched the engine mount, but I see how it might help especially the first time.
2008 Caravan taken to dealer for regular maint.. Dealer said the water pump and serpentine belt needs replacement. They gave me a cost of $1115.00 to complete the job. The milage is 139,000 at this time. Mine is a 4.0 liter V-6. I think I will have someone else do this job but, this video is very informative.
i really appreciated this video. i watched the vid one day and did the job the next. i really like the trick with the 1/2 inch extension for removing the belt and the quick way u showed to bleed the air out. ive always hated waiting on the engine to heat up. thanks
Thank you so much for your clear teaching of how to change the water pump amazing and clear video two thumbs up I was able to change it without any problem thanks to you. Thanks again Chaz
Replaced my water pump this afternoon. Had to use a u-joint adapter on the ratchet to get to that upper rear bolt, but other than dealing with that bolt it went off and on pretty easily. My tensioner pulley arm had the square flange on the back, so I could use a crescent wrench to grab onto it. The handle of the wrench rested neatly on the air conditioner pulley, and kept the belt slack throughout the process.
Halfway through this job right now... so far- didn’t drop the engine... broke one pump bolt...lower left one... hoping to get it out with an easy out... about an hour and a half of time in so far...
Awesome video! Very detailed and informative. My water pump would not come out and I had no idea what to do, so I watched this video, and I learned about the lowering the motor trick. Thanks so much! Keep it up.
The good looking women is the Admiral on my cruising yacht. The video was great and has given me the information I need to replace the leaking water pump on my 2005 Grand Caravan (3.8L) The Captain.
Thank you! so helpful. Getting that pulley off is a serious pain! that and the back 10mm water pump bolt. I like your style of not getting all worked up like the average diy home mechanic might :) Great vid.
great video, just what i needed, had one replaced by dodge under warranty and its started to leak after only 30,000kms, so with video in hand, i will replace my water pump!! thanks for looking out for us guys that cant afford to throw it in the garage every time it goes wrong. :o)
My wife's van broke down and I was able to fix it using this video and one other video. You did a very nice job of explaining the process step by step. I have a 2001 Chrysler town and country with a 3.8 V6 and there was no need to drop the motor. With just a small amount of maneuvering the water pump came out past the frame and went back in easily as well. Thanks!
Gene Callen I'm glad it was a help too you. More videos like that on my channel
THANK YOU!!! I am not a mechanic, and I am not in the position where I can afford to hire one. I just changed the water pump in my 2001 Dodge Caravan (3.3 flex fuel) using the instructions in this video; it took only 2.5 hours to complete the work and the job was easier than it looks in the video. Again, THANK YOU!!!!
Bill Nowak No problem
Shawn,
My daughter and I had a blast replacing the water pump yesterday. It was in a 1998 3.3L engine, which is different from later model you demonstrated, but you gave us enough so that we were able to tackle it and solve the problem in 3 hours. It took a little time, but we included a trip to the parts store, and lunch.
Ours was on the right, with no track. It sat on a "bell" pulley. I did watch another video. It had the pump on the right side, under the wheel-well.
Kudos to you!
Dude you just saved me from taking my van to the dealer. I have a book and the book says NOTHING about dropping the engine. I had it all taken apart and could not get the pump out. THANK YOU! GREAT video.
You sir are a life saver.. I had the pump half out when I realized that I could not get it out.. your video saved me about 200 bucks from having it towed to the local belle tire to have repaired. You ROCK!
Completed this yesterday on my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. This video helped greatly! I did not have to lower the engine, instead we used a crowbar and was able to apply enough pressure to move the engine just enough to not have to remove the engine mounts. Replaced the radiator hoses, serpentine belt, and thermostat as well. Thanks Shawn, couldn't have done it without a video like this.
Used your video to instruct me, on Christmas Eve. The most freightening part was takng out those engine bolts and dropping the engine. I am not a mechanic! You covered everything i needed to know. Just wish my arm had 12 more elbows, to bend enough, to get that last bolt loose and reinstalled. Everything else was a breeze after that.
I had to change the water pump and the inlet pipe on my 2002 caravan, i also put a new serpentine belt on.. I watch your video twice and did exactly what you said to do.. I cant say enough Thank you for helping me and others. It hard enough to work on cars , but to take the time to show what your doing , shows your a very good person that enjoys helping others .much appreciated.
no problem my freind . more on my channel
It is really awesome that videos from "ago" are still available. My 05 T&C 3.8L just about defeated me. Getting the pump/pulley out ended up breaking the old pump. Too dark and too cold to try and finish, so sat down and did a bit more research and found your vid. This was a lifesaver. Not finished yet, but the motor mount trick will get it done. Thank you!!
your welcome
The van I have has over 300,000 miles in it and it runs like a dream. I found another one for sale cheap because the water pump was leaking and I didn't know if I wanted to tackle something like that but I wanted the van for a back up. So after watching your video I'm confident I can change it so I'm gonna go ahead and buy the other one and fix it it only has 120,000 miles on it and I know what good motors they are. Thank you for taking the time to show us how to do this.
Jeffrey Steen no prob. Only problem you might have is of you break one of the bolts off holding the water pump on. Other then that very easy fix
ShawnCFarm ibe worked on cars my while life and I've changed some bad water pumps in my time..im sure I can handle it..i appreciate the advice and I enjoyed watching the video..it gave me some confidence that's for sure.
Just replaced mine on 2004 Dodge 3.8/V6 per this video. Me, I removed belt by rotating the belt tensioner by prying against it with handle end of 1/2" breaker bar. Found that I did have to lower the engine about 1 inch to get clearance for taking the water pump out though. I was very happy that I didn't have to take the motor mount bolts all the way out, just loosen them to about an inch of slack to lower the motor and get clearance. Thanks so much for this video, it made the job much easier!
My nephew suggested looking online for clues to help replacing his Caravan water pump I found Shawn's video and it helped shorten our time and frustration. The most helpful clues were dropping the engine, indexing the pulley over its flange, accessing the 5th bolt from the rear, and replacing the belt. Shawn indicated there were multiple ways to do the various steps and we needed to use several variants with our limited tool set. I will go to ShawnCFarm first for future auto tasks.
I had to replace mine in my 2001 3.3L did not really have a clue where to start after watching this video my fears were gone and went smooth as silk getting to the water pump bolts was slow tedious fine thread Thanks a million for the video you saved me hundreds !
You're the man!! Got the pump off but it wasn't coming out. Dropped the engine an inch or two and ... Bob's your uncle ... a little wiggling and out it came. Great video. I was completely stumped. Thx.
After viewing your video I did my water pump and it turned out fantastic. Thanks for all the info and tips. Your video gave me the confidence and information to tackle the job myself and I saved a lot of money by replacing it myself. Thanks so much.
Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you ! I was able to replace the water pump in my 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan in about three hours. I was able to get a belt tool from Canadian Tire (tool loan). I still had too drop the engine because the new pump was a little wider than stock. The back bolt on the pump was very difficult but I used a flexible ratchet wrench that worked. You saved me probably $600 in labour !
Shawn, thank you so much for taking the time to post this video. You saved me! I had to change the water pump on my 2003 Dodge Caravan and had no idea how to lower the engine to get the water pump off the engine block. The frame of the car was in the way. I did exactly as you said and it worked perfectly. Used my floor jack and a small piece of 2 x 6 under the oil pan and lowered it down after loosening the motor mount bolts. Made the job possible. Thanks again!
I love that you cover every thing about the repair , it was extremely helpful. I am a michanic and information is hard to come by I hope peaple.appreciate what you are doing for them, great job. sincerely Jose.
thank you. it was very helpful. today my wife and i are going to attempt this and installing a new radiator along with the front brakes. All I can say is pray for us.
I actually hate doing mechanical work, I'd usually rather pay someone to do it. Since I'm out of work I tore into this job on our '05 Chrysler Town and Country. Wow. NTS I got into more than I expected. Your video is a great help tho... also incredible to watch you do this kind of repair one-handed while holding the camera. Amazing & helpful video... thanks for posting!
Excellent demonstration. I wouldn't never have tried the motor mounts without seeing our demonstration.
Excellent video.
I have a 2001 Chrysler T & C (3.3L)
The repair shown here is exactly the same for both. Been under it replacing the serpentine belt, only to find out it was popping off because of the water pump, which explains the fact that I have had to fill the coolant once a week. (been putting water in until I found the problem why it was losing fluid (so I spread water into the world not antifreeze).
Thanks again for the video.
Thank you so much for making this video. Got into it and didn't know how the pump would possibly come out. Lowering the engine did the trick!
I really appreciated your video today. I got the pump off the engine, but it wouldn't fit by the frame. By watching your video I learned how to lower the engine enough to get it out. Thanks
Excellent Job Shawn ... I had a hard enough time without the camera. I had to lower the motor for the water pump to clear. Thanks for the tip on bleeding the air out. I can tell you are a good Mechanic because of your tips to lubricate the bolts before installing
This is for the experienced !!! I've found the best way to "burp" air from cooling system is to fill Radiator to about 3" from top. Keep pan underneath to catch any spills. Prep for this procedure. Have Coolant, flashlight, radiator cap, shop rags all within reach. Start engine, turn on heater full hot and watch coolant level. It should begin going up and down as coolant hits thermostat. Hot from engine it starts to open, then cold from radiator makes it close again. Then here's the tricky part which is two handed. If the vehicle has a mechanical throttle, using one hand open throttle to get about 1500 rpm and hold it. The coolant will begin to bounce faster. Eventually you will see squirts from cross tubes in radiator. Again they start and stop. Eventually you will have a steady stream thru them. This is where you take your free hand and fill radiator (still holding at 1500 rpm, throttle hand may be getting tired by now but DON'T LET GO or it will be old faithful geyser. This is the dangerous part) Do this several times till level stabilizes, fill and wait till it is full. Put radiator cap on fully (two notches) and now let off throttle. System is full. Can do this on existing system that is thought to have air lock. Please...Please...Please be careful doing this method. Once hot it with burn you badly.
Very straight forward instructions. Last time I changed a water pump was on my '99 Dodge Grand Caravan, which was easier. Now I have a 2001 and 2003. I going to be changing the serpentine Belt and possibly the alternator on the 2001. This was good to see the whole process.
Absolutely fantastic video not to mention a remarkable demonstration of multitasking, wrench in one hand camera in the other. This video is very helpful because I am about to do the very same job this weekend on my 06 Grand Caravan. I was thinking about taking the Caravan to the shop for the water pump , Seeing this I will do it myself. I had though it might be a nightmare of a job like the some of the jobs I have done on my 02 Ford E250 Tritan V8.Thanks for the great upload.
Nicely done. You were very thorough and common sense with your approach to auto repair.
Very clear instructions! Took the time needed to show how to do the job right. Nice to watch someone go the extra mile to make sure we can do the job right.....Thank you!
your welcome
Thanks, i was stuck about 20 minutes trying to figure out how to get that pump out. I never thought of dropping the engine.
good grief this made my life easier just today. helping out a friend in need with an 2002 3.3l and this was perfect.
diagnosis: the pully came free of the tabs that are on the outside of the impeller....and took out the freeze plug. NOT pretty....but now i know what to do!!!
thank you again- great information.
Glad to help
excellent job! highly recommend to anyone wanting to try DYI with any experience, this is all you need...very thorough and detailed...lots of great tips to watch out for! thanks much
Excellent video Shawn. It was very informative and precise. I got the water pump changed and now my vehicle is running like a champ. Thanks again for sharing this with us.
I was researching before I change mine and I'm glad I found your site first. I don't have to look any further to feel prepared to change my pump. Thanks!
Thank you for the vid. I couldn't have finished the job without watching it. Ran into every possible problem..I.E. The last bolt in the back..getting the pump back in with the clearance that was given..tensioner..bolts having corrosion on the threads and being a pain in the ass to ratchet back in but no matter what I didn't give up. Always 3,4,5, or 6 ways to do the same thing like you said.
Awesome DIY Video. Thank you. This will come in quite handy for me, as I JUST purchased a 2003 with a 3.3L yesterday in Toronto. They were nice enough to replace the pump and alternator for me, but watching this will help in the future. Totally different animal from the 3.0L Learning the differences quite quickly between the 2 (96 & 03) I even noticed that my 97's 3.3L is different than the 03's Whole new kettle of fish. Great work...keep'em coming!
I just did this job and for me it was impossible to get the pump back in without lowering the engine. Thanks for that tip. Just imagine how many total man-hours of labor could have been saved had Chrysler made their engine compartment 1/2 inch wider.
All I can say is thank you... thank you.. thank you for posting this video. I just finished changing my water pump on my Dodge Caravan. I could not have done it with out seeing someone else do it. You have saved me mucho dinero.
I just want to say thanks I have a 2006 grand caravan I watched your video yesterday and did my pump successfully today. The serpentine belt was a little tricky replacing but everything seems good now your video is very informative ...
Dude! You rock! I looked like a hero because of getting this water pump in. I never would have thought of lowering the engine! You rock!
From one mechanic to another a Big Thank you Shawn , excellent video and thanks for your insight in how to do the job ...... I never done one so far but I'm doing one here at home on tuesday .... take care and God Bless !
Thanks so much ShawnCFarm. This was a great video. It spelled out exactly what I'd run into replacing the water pump and metal inlet tube for my 2005 Grand Caravan SXT, even the dropping the engine piece. I didn't remove the three engine bolts entirely but kept them threaded in about 1/4" and I 'hung' the engine on the longer bolts. That dropped the engine enough to get the pump past the frame. The only thing that is kind of goofy is flushing the system and filling the system again. The draining and filling procedure never added up to the 16 liters my system (with the rear heater core) was supposed to have - according to the manual.
Awesome job on the video. Used this to replace my water pump (which had catastrophic failure) and my lower radiator pipe (heater bypass). My van is a 2005 and has nearly 150K miles. Never would have been able to do this without knowing how easy it was to lower the engine. I was nervous about doing this, but it worked perfectly. Very much appreciated!!!!!
Count me as another beneficiary of the info you've shared in this video. Without your guidance, we would have most likely missed both of my son's soccer tournament games today instead of just the first one. There is one bit of info I'd like to share with others digging into this chore: The water pump and pulley on a 2006 Grand Caravan SXT - 3.8L engine wouldn't come past the frame without dropping the engine about an inch, so even if you don't drop it to get access to the tensioner, you still probably need to drop it to actually swap out the pump. The engine mount bolts are long enough that they didn't have to come all the way out, but the pump refused to pass between the housing and the frame without that step.
good vid, like your attitude, keep going, more than 1 way to do a job ! a couple of points, 1> I try not to put parts on grounds which are dusty, gravelly, I saw you did have a work surface when you worked on the new pump,2> an easier way to "burp" the system, is to fill the system slowly using a funnel, then when topped up run the engine with the rad cap off for a few mins, you'll see the air coming out, stop the engine and re-fit the rad cap, run till warm, cool down, open cap, top-up
Just done a brand new starter in my 2005 and had to pull back out due to it not engaging. But after that I need to do the water pump and I'm definitely going to use your video thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to post videos like this. It truly helps to know exactly what I'm getting myself into, especially on Christmas day in the walmart parking lot with 3 inches of snow on the ground.
man I could not believe how much vehicles change I'm used to working on chevy's and ford's this is a pain in the butt on changing this cause I'm a big guy but thanks for the help it taught me how to do it thanks
+Edwin KEITH No problem, they make cars now that you cant work on
You are awesome, thanks for posting.
Thanks my friend. It takes alot longer walking people through a job
That was a first class tutorial. Thank you for the video. I am doing this exact job tomorrow morning and I feel completely confident in the procedure. Thanx again for making the video,
Very Good video. Because of your instructional video even a computer tech like me can now replace my water pump on my soccer mom car. Thanks!
Very well explained I am pretty good mechanic myself and this was exactly how I will be doing my water pump except I will use a 21mm wrench to remove the belt located on the pully (2001 model 3.3L)good job and confidence to never give up anyone can do this we're the smartest living thing's on Earth 💯👊😎 respect
this is a helpful video i learned a lot, thanks. i'am a current student at Lincoln Tech, i study diesel tech. my girl friend owns a 06 dodge grand caravan 3.8L v6 and all i can say is i'd rather work on trucks! MAN there is NO space in the engine compartment of the grand caravan lol. everything is sooo compacted!
Thank you for the encourgment. I feel better knowing it is not in the engine. I did all check pulleys. found water pump to be wobbling. I certainly hope that will be it. I won't be able to do the work for about 10 days because my friend will not be back to left me use his drive way. I live in a condo, they won't let me do any work in parking lot. I wish I had a house without neighbors right next door.
I will you know after doing the pump, how things worked. Again thanks for your responses.
I started to watch only because i could not find a video on changing alternator on my 05 caravan although once i started watching i found it to be very good so thank you for sparing you time and showing me the steps i need to take off the serpentine belt so i can change my Alt. thanks again
Dude you are very thorough. Im a diy guy and I know enough to get by on but I like to check out what I'm getting into before I take on a project so I dnt get in over my head and well thanks now I know what to expect
Thank you Shawn C, a good service you provided here.
Hope you don't mind if I throw in a little warning to the do it your selfers out in You tube land as to the a snag I ran into.
The bottom most mounting bolt in the 6:00 position is right in the way of the stream of drippage caused by the leak.
The bolt is steal and both the body of the pump and the structure it mounts to are cast aluminum. Thereby we have dissimilar metals and moisture which leads to galvanic corrosion. As is often the case, the corrosion welded the bolt to the aluminum. I busted the bolt trying to turn it.
Please, folks, Heat it up and use penetrating oil and lots of patience on that sucker.
Gather your exertion gradually, and pray that the rest of your vehicle is more well engineered than the distribution of those bolts.
Thanks again Shawn C. Would like to work with you some time.
I'm glad you got it out, because today the same exact thing happened to me. Now I have to drill and get a kit. How did you drill because of the tight place. Those bolts aren't very good.
I broke the same bolt off in my water pump. Not looking foward to extracting it but have some great tips from a few other videos.
Very helpful! I just changed the water pump on a 2001 3.8 T&C. I got the bolts removed but had to lower the engine to get the pump out. Then I got the belt back on my going under the idler pulley at the top after threading all the other pulleys.
Great video! I didn't realize that the water pump had been moved to the back on the later model 3.8 liter minivan engines. The Gen III minivans had the pump at the front and it was easy. I think I'll stick with them. But again - great job on the video!
Very helpful, nice to watch an experienced pro doing what he is good at.
Great video Shawn! I love these vans. Ive had dozens of them I am a used car dealer and these are all I buy. Never had any motor problems. only 1 had transmission issues. Thank you for posting this!
Mine is a 2005 so I'd have to check for differences, but I'm pretty sure it would be just about the same as this. Either way, this video presents as just about exactly how my brother and I would be doing it in my driveway.
The explanations and specifications are clear (except for torque spec's) which makes this one of the best videos I've seen for water pump r&r.
Thanks. Very helpful.
Your video was helpful. But my new installation had pump wobble when running....longitudinally, or "out of round".
But I discovered the pulley isnt self centering, so when you put the "no so tight" fitting bolts back in, its possible to get it off center. I loosened the bolts,
checked trueness with a screwdriver braced against the crossmember....once
it turned true, tightened the bolts back up and voila, no more wobble.
Saved me exchanging the pump, when that wasnt the cause.
Thank you very much. Very instructive video. You made me save a lot of money. Dropping the engine was the key to success in my case.
Thanking this man for sharing his knowledge with us all. This is a fairly complicated change out for a beginner to attempt.
Not something a person should try without having prior knowledge and some proper tools. At least this video gives you a good insight into what you are up against...Thanks to the poster....
This was very helpful. Thanks, man! That last bolt on the back of the water pump was a PAIN!
Did a waterpump today in an 06 caravan. This was very helpful thanks a lot!
Excellent video. I was really at a loss with my water pump. Thanks.
I did it. Didn't have to drop engine.Just loosened up bolts and dropped 1/4 to 1/2" was enough. Thanks bro.
I'm hoping that I only need to replace the tube in my 2005 Caravan tomorrow morning, but if it is the water pump, I am thankful for your video.
More on my channel my friend
I have a 2003 grand caravan w/ 3.8 V6 engine. the 3.3 are very similar. I'm fixing to replace the water pump in mine. Thank you for the video. Very informative.
Thanks! My husband and I appreciate this video now that we have to change the water pump in our van!
Very clear way to show how to replace the water pump. Good job!
what a well done job on all areas, camera view, narration, expertise and sound. Thanks for the very helpful information. Canada.
Nice video. I own a mobile repair business and work on the ground daily. I have done over a dozen of these and never touched the engine mount, but I see how it might help especially the first time.
I am so glad to of found this video. I maintain a fleet of ten dodge caravans and now this is one more job I can do myself now. Thank you.
Great video. Just completed the job and watching the video saved a lot of guess work.
thanks for the video. my husband is going to have to fix the water pump on our dodge caravan! hopefully this goes well
2008 Caravan taken to dealer for regular maint.. Dealer said the water pump and serpentine belt needs replacement. They gave me a cost of $1115.00 to complete the job. The milage is 139,000 at this time. Mine is a 4.0 liter V-6. I think I will have someone else do this job but, this video is very informative.
ya way too much money to do that job
pully and water pump is usally about 50$ in parts
Good job
I would have struggled without dropping the engine down. Thanks for showing how it's done!!
That helped me!!! I couldn't figure out how to get my hand up to get that last bolt !! you made it look easy!!! thanks
I would have never gotten this done... (very hard) without your video. I really appreciate your help man!
No problem at all my friend
i really appreciated this video. i watched the vid one day and did the job the next. i really like the trick with the 1/2 inch extension for removing the belt and the quick way u showed to bleed the air out. ive always hated waiting on the engine to heat up. thanks
charles neal I don't like waiting lol
Thank you for the video you have saved me £100 in labour I'm from the uk there called a chrysler grand voyager over here.
Thank you so much for your clear teaching of how to change the water pump amazing and clear video two thumbs up I was able to change it without any problem thanks to you. Thanks again Chaz
very informative... especially the `extra' shortcuts gained from experience!
Keep up the good work, Shawn!
I love car mechanic videos!!! You guys have saved me a ton of money. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
Replaced my water pump this afternoon. Had to use a u-joint adapter on the ratchet to get to that upper rear bolt, but other than dealing with that bolt it went off and on pretty easily. My tensioner pulley arm had the square flange on the back, so I could use a crescent wrench to grab onto it. The handle of the wrench rested neatly on the air conditioner pulley, and kept the belt slack throughout the process.
Installed waterpump in 2.5h. Thanks again for the video. Could not have done it without it!
Halfway through this job right now... so far- didn’t drop the engine... broke one pump bolt...lower left one... hoping to get it out with an easy out... about an hour and a half of time in so far...
Awesome video! Very detailed and informative. My water pump would not come out and I had no idea what to do, so I watched this video, and I learned about the lowering the motor trick. Thanks so much! Keep it up.
one of the best and simplest and straight to the point video iv seen great job
The good looking women is the Admiral on my cruising yacht. The video was great and has given me the information I need to replace the leaking water pump on my 2005 Grand Caravan (3.8L)
The Captain.
Thank you! so helpful. Getting that pulley off is a serious pain! that and the back 10mm water pump bolt. I like your style of not getting all worked up like the average diy home mechanic might :) Great vid.
I found your video helpful and I will be replacing my waterpump on my '05 Grand caravan today. Thank you!
Thanks Shawn for your video and the 2 hour estimate. That worked out prefect as I was able to do it in 1:45.
great video, just what i needed, had one replaced by dodge under warranty and its started to leak after only 30,000kms, so with video in hand, i will replace my water pump!! thanks for looking out for us guys that cant afford to throw it in the garage every time it goes wrong. :o)
You make it look easy thanks . water pump installed, no more leaking.