This is my first time working on a car. I have no experience whatsoever, so I don’t know the name of things. Please excuse my lack of knowledge. I have attached a couple of images so you guys know what I am talking about.
I am trying to replace the water pump of this Mazda 6 3.0L. While removing some hoses, I noticed one was hanging around freely. The small plastic end of a T-Connector broke. See Image 1.
I proceeded to remove the hose connecting to it and see if I can get a new hose in O’Reilly. I also decided to remove the T-connector; the plastic end in the other side also broke. See Image 2.
In image 3 you can see the hose with the plastic end still inside. I am wondering if there is a way that I can pull this plastic out and reuse this hose, because I thought of replacing this hose too, but when I traced where the hose was connected to I felt stucked.
In Image 4 you can see the hoses are clamped by this plastic thingy onto the frame of the car. I don’t know how to go about taking that off but what is bothering is that the space is tight and is impossible to reach. I am wondering if you have to take this whole solid plastic piece of top of the engine? See image 5.
In Image 6 you can see a different engine model of the same vehicle, but with the hoses exposed and without that huge plastic thing.
Lastly, I bought the whole water pump + housing. Looking at these hoses and more plastic parts. I am already afraid of breaking something else. So I thought it would be wise to ask how do I go about removing these hoses? I know the one circled in blue is clamped to a metal piece, so this is less worrisome. The other two are clamped onto plastic pieces. Any advice?
Should I just buy the water pump + gasket and just return the whole housing unit back? Seems like less of a hassle.
This post reminds me of the Mazda 929 which had an 8mm hose buried under the intake that everyone avoided paying any attention to until it left them stranded on the side of the road. Of course Honda Pilots had a similarly difficult to replace hose so Mazda’s in good company I guess.
A stitch in time saves 9… or likely $900.
Oh yeah. If a hose is difficult to pull off the nipple just split the end from the tip back to beyond the nipple then twist it and pull.
I can replace all of them but that one that goes all the way back in image 4… I am not sure how to reach it. Should I remove the top plastic cover in image 5?
I’ve gotten hoses off plastic and metal nipples by sliding a very small, thin flat screwdriver blade between the hose and the nipple, in one location, then lifting the screwdriver up just a bit and squirting a tiny bit of WD40 at the opening between the screwdriver blade and the nipple. Wait a few minutes, then remove the screwdriver and try again to twist the hose loose. It sometimes works.
Of course, if the end is already broken off the @Tester method works just fine.
WD40 and rubber are generally OK but I prefer silicone spray instead. WD40 won’t help you get the hoses off, in my experience. If you are trying to lube the hose to install it, use a dab of soapy water as a lube. It slides on and the soap dries so the hose won’t try and pop off under pressure.
Replacing a water pump can be a pretty difficult job, especially for a first timer diyer newbie. You might want to defer this learning experience until after you’ve done stuff like changing the oil, changing the spark plugs, replacing the coolant, checking the valve clearances etc. If you are determined to proceed on your own – and I can see myself adopting that posture … lol … — here’s some tips that might help
Before doing anything at all, read the entire procedure for water pump replacement for your car. Either from a Chiltons/Haynes manual, factory service manual, or All Data. Don’t try to do it by guessing which order to do things in. If you don’t have a written procedure, don’t start yet. Get that first and read through it carefully. U-tube vdos can be helpful too, but don’t rely on them exclusively.
If it is in the way, & if doing so is relatively easy and reversible, remove it. Pro mechanics might not remove everything you remove but you aren’t a pro mechanic. Make the job as easy as possible, trading off a little extra time needed to do the job is a good compromise. Whenever I work on my Corolla engine compartment I usually remove the battery, air filter box, and the boot from the air filter box to the throttle body. Makes the job a lot easier, easier to see what you are doing, and all that stuff takes less than 15 minutes to remove, no sweat. Likewise I usually remove the plastic under-fender liners when working beneath the car. Removing wheels can be very helpful, as well as steering the front wheels one way or the other to gain access.
Something that can’t be accessed from above can often be accessed from below the car. Use jack-stands, chocks, ramps, whatever. Make sure all work done under the car is done with the car supported safely.
Replacing stuff you accidentally break while repairing cars is a common thing. Especially plastic connectors of all sorts, electrical and plumbing. Just plan that you will be doing that. Same with rubber hoses, which tend to split or deform w/time. If there’s any question, replace it.
If something seems overly difficult, you may not be using quite the right strategy or don’t have the correct tool. For removing hoses, for example
heating the end of hoses up with a hair dryer can make them easier to remove
Best of luck, keep safety in your mind as the number one priority, and remember slow and steady wins the race.
Thanks a lot George. Will keep these in mind. I will start by reading the manuals. Thanks for the link too, I am already placing an order for these pliers!
The online videos seem to point to removing the WP housing as an assy and than removing the WP from this assy? I think the 3.0 MPV motor is different than the Mazda 6 3.0? I guess if you find enough online videos you will eventually figure it out
Most people seem to be replacing the water pump assembly only. I got the whole housing though which means removing a bunch the 3 hoses connecting to it.
