re
a 3/8" drive universal / swivel

that'll likely get the job done, but the real nice tool to have is a short
13mm universal drive socket ....
the swivel and socket in one piece. I got one from Snap-On Tools years ago
............very spending but worth it in the long one, plus it's guaranteed
forever.

re
Removing the pulley from the water pump.  Didn't have really big
> adjustable plier/grip, and tried with the belt on, and some other stuff -
> nada.  I ended up using some really narrow vice grip pliers and wedged
> them
> in between the pulley mount and the water pump body and that stopped it
> from
> turning so I could get the pulley bolts out.

To hold the water pump pulley from turning .......all you do is put a socket
( on a ratchet ) on one bolt...............
then put a large screw driver against the side of the socket , with the tip
on one of the other bolt heads. This holds it perfectly from turning while
you loosen the first nut ............I hope I don't need to say, loosen all
3 first..........don't remove any until  all 3 are loosened.
A square shaft large screwdriver is perfect for this.  A round shaft one
will work, but a square shaft large screw driver is what you really want.
Cheap ones are like   $ 3.50 at China Freight and Salvage.

re,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
the hose / pipe going to the right head, I got it loosened, I just can't
> turn it out of the way.  Ben's place says to swivel it out of the way,
> can't
> accomplish that yet, since it is so cramped under the damper pully I just
> can't figure a way to twist (turn) it yet since it is stuck to the little
> coupler hose on the other end.

Did you loosen the hose clamps in the short hose ? ? .........it's
neccessary to do this step.  On some there is a bump on the right side metal
pipe.....to keep the hose from sliding up the pipe.  Ddon't run afoul of
that pump. It's hard to see as well. Not a problem though, unless you are
trying to slide the hose up the pipe to the right. Lube the heck out of all
rubber and everything with WD-40.  On metal, I use penetrating oil, so no
penetrating oil on rubber..........wd-40 on rubber.
Makes it way easier to work on.

scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roland" <syncronicity1@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 4:12 PM
Subject: Yeah! It's a water pump weekend! (questions of course)

> Hello folks,
>
> The subject line sounds too much like Chevy Chase's summer vacation, but
> I've been procrastinating too long.  It is going well, thanks to:
> http://www.benplace.com/water_pump.htm, and
> http://volksweb.relitech.com/19wpump.htm, some archive stuff and a couple
> of
> thesamba threads.
>
> Got it all undone, except the 2 bottom nuts on the water pump itself.  Got
> the top nut off with my usual 13mm socket, but it won't fit on the lower
> left nut because there isn't enough clearance next to the WP housing.  And
> I
> can't get it on the bottom right nut, using various extensions, because
> the
> damper pulley is in the way.  So I am heading to sears, and then harbor
> freight if needed, to buy:
> - a thin walled 13 mm socket
> - a 3/8" drive universal / swivel (to get the lower right nut).
> Does this sound to anyone like it might do the job to get those last 2
> off?
>
> Lessons learned along the way:
> - Removing the pulley from the water pump.  Didn't have really big
> adjustable plier/grip, and tried with the belt on, and some other stuff -
> nada.  I ended up using some really narrow vice grip pliers and wedged
> them
> in between the pulley mount and the water pump body and that stopped it
> from
> turning so I could get the pulley bolts out.
> - didn't see it in the various instructions, but the little hose that
> comes
> out the top of the water pump and goes to the oil cooler.  I had to remove
> it from the oil cooler else impossible to access the lower left water pump
> mounting bolt.
> - the wire to the oil pressure sensor (I think that's what it is) was
> laying
> directly on the bottom right WP mounting bolt, preventing any socket from
> getting on the nut, had to remove that wire.
> - the hose / pipe going to the right head, I got it loosened, I just can't
> turn it out of the way.  Ben's place says to swivel it out of the way,
> can't
> accomplish that yet, since it is so cramped under the damper pully I just
> can't figure a way to twist (turn) it yet since it is stuck to the little
> coupler hose on the other end.
>
> So far, so good, pleased so far, just gotta get those 2 nuts off of the
> water pump itself and it should come free.
>
> Please any and all comments / suggestions welcome!
>
> Roland