Date:         Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:55:00 -0400
Reply-To:     Ed Duntz <eduntz@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ed Duntz <eduntz@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Trouble-Please HELP with 1.9 water pump removal issues
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Posting here and the other two sites I frequent as I'm in trouble-

Broken bolt in t-stat housing!!

Can't get pipe out of housing!!

I've run into two difficult issues in trying to replace the water pump on my 1.9. I'm having trouble getting removing the upper steel pipe which crosses from the driver side to the passenger side. I don't have enough play to pull it out of the thermostat housing. I removed the bolts from the passenger side, but can't get the flange away from the engine on that side to pull the pipe out  from the driver side. 

I can't pull the pump/t-stat housing out enough to get that unit off, either. And to make it worse, I snapped off the head of the bolt holding a flange onto the housing, where the short, stubby hose is attached on top.

I've removed the dipstick attachment piece, but it hasn't helped. 

I'm not stuck with a broken bolt in the t-stat housing, and the pipe that won't come out. 

The van is at my house, I have a helper for the next few hours, and I really can't afford to have my mechanic do it. 

I am following "tomsvwpages" directions for doing this. Ben's site shows the 2.1, and refers readers to Tom's site for the 1.9. He says to take out the t-stat housing and water pump as a unit, and then separate, but others have said just to take the pump out.

I do have another 1.9 engine sitting on my garage floor as a back-up for parts- at the least now I have to deal with the broken bolt in the t-stat housing. 

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
Ed