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Other years will be similar, major point of contention would be the orientation of the belt tensioner.

Try to do it without removing anything but the belt and pump will take hours, and volumes of language not fit for Human consumption.

1) Get under truck on passanger side with a 1/2 inch long handle ratchet, not a breaker bar (head too thick). Insert the drive square on the ratchet into the belt tensioners preformed indention for the 1/2 inch square. Use the ratchet to pull the belt tensioner towards the ground. While holding the tensioner in this position take the belt off the the A/C pully. Return the tensioner to it's relaxed position, by reducing pressure on the ratchet handle. Leave ratchet on the tensioner for now.

2) Open drain-plug on radiator and let the water drain out. While you are waiting on this to happen, get all the other things you will need to do the job (list of tools and materials at the end of this guide)

3) Remove the Thermostat housing complete with hose, by removing the three 8mm bolts holding the housing to the engine block. Once it's out of the way remove the Thermostat and gasket from the block.

4) Remove the fan shroud support that is directly in front of the Alternator ( two 13mm nuts and two 10mm bolts).

5) Using a 1/4 drive ratchet and 10mm 6 point socket (12 point will cause problems), with a short extension between the racthet and socket remove the two bolts holding the water pump on the block {( you will need a cheater pipe on the ratchet ) be careful to keep the socket straight on the bolt while using the cheater pipe, it will have a nateral tendency to want to pull sideways and not square}. Remove water pump.

6) Clean the area on the block where the O-ring on the pump seals against the block ( I used a Scotchbrite pad ) { hint your wife has one in the kitchen, used to scour pots and pans }.

7) Install O-ring on new pump using a bit of grease to hold it in place.

8) Making sure the weep hole is pointed down (may be located differently than OEM pump, mine was), install the new water pump. Making sure to use cheater pipe and common sense to tighten the two bolts, while keeping the socket straight on the bolt head.

9) Turn pully on pump to insure, freedom of movement, and then reroute the serpentine belt correctly over and under all the pulleys (a smooth pully rides against the top side of the belt). Don't forget tp remove the 1/2 inch ratchet from the tensioner, once the belt is correctly back in place and fully tensioned.

10) Close radiator drain-plug.

11) Put the fan shroud bracket back on.

12) Pour 1/2 of a gallon jug of antifreeze in radiator, then fill jug back to top with water, giving you a 50/50 mix. Do a second gallon by pouring half of it into the first jug that is now empty, now fill both jugs to the top with water. Pour them into the radiator while keeping an eye on the hole in the block where the thermostat goes (if you already put it in you've messed up but not totally) {in the event you did this, remove the heater hose off of the pipe coming off the cylinder head}. When the water fluid is at the top of the hole in the block, stop filling the radiator.

13) Install a new Thermostat and gasket in the block and install the thermostst housing including the upper radiator hose.

14) Remove the heater hose off of the pipe coming off the cylinder head and resume filling the radiator, slowly until fluid starts to come out the pipe on the head. Going slower with the pour continue to fill the radiator until there is a head of fluid on top of the pipe but not flowing over. Re-install the heater hose, and finish filling radiator till full.

15) Start truck, and make sure you don't have any leaks.

16) Go for a test drive until you reach normal operating temprature. shortly there after you should be back where you did the work. Shut the truck off, after parking over a dry area, clean up the mess. Once that's done, check underneath the truck to make sure you don't have any leaks, if there are none, take a break and have one of your favorite beverages. Once the truck has cooled off, so that there is no danger of burning yourself, remove the radiator cap and check your fluid level, if it's good, put the cap back on and fill the coolant tank with 50/50 mix to the full mark.

17) Go for a longer drive this time, so that the truck gets up to temp. continue for a half hour or so before returning home. Once there have another beverage, if there are still no leaks. let the truck cool off to the point that removing the radiator cap will not result in scaulding yourself or others. using a coolant tester check to make sure you have ample coverage for your area of the country. Adjust as needed.

List of materials tools are as follows:

3 gallons of G-05 antifreeze

New water pump and gasket

New thermostat and gasket

Scotchbrite pad

Clean water source (distilled water is recommended)

1/2 inch drive, long handle ratchet

13 mm ratchet wrench

1/4 inch drive, ratchet with short extension

10 mm 1/4 inch drive six point socket

8mm 1/4 inch drive six point socket

Two foot long cheater pipe, small enough to have a good fit on 1/4 inch drive ratchet.

Hose clamp pliers or good screw driver depending on clamp type.

SUBSITUTING in 3/8 drive for the 1/4 inch drive tools will result in abject failure and rounded off bolt heads. Leaving you crying for mommy, and wishing you had taken it someplace to have the work done. A ratchet wrench may work on the top bolt, not on the bottom one. Trying to use anything but a 1/4 inch drive 10mm 6point socket and ratchet on the bottom bolt, Will fail horribly.

That's it, have fun.

On a side note now is also the perfect time to do a flush of the cooling system, if you have not done one in the recent past. It also may be time to update those hoses and serpentine belt.

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I had to replace the water pump on my other brand of truck and it was expensive, about how much do ours (06) run?

$35 at Geno's for a Gates. Not sure on a Cummins.
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I had to replace the water pump on my other brand of truck and it was expensive, about how much do ours (06) run?

I just paid $46 and some change at NAPA, and no core return was needed.

My '04.5 is almost 8.5 years old now. I've never done a complete drain/flush of the cooling system. What I have done is to drain out as much as will come out............usually 4 gallons..........and replenish the system with 2 gallons of Zerex in the gold bottle and 2 gallons of distilled water.I do this every 2 years............and I use a "brand new" bucket to catch the old stuff in to see if'n there's anything in the coolant I need to see. So far, so good on Mighty Whitey!!!:thumb1:

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My '04.5 is almost 8.5 years old now. I've never done a complete drain/flush of the cooling system. What I have done is to drain out as much as will come out............usually 4 gallons..........and replenish the system with 2 gallons of Zerex in the gold bottle and 2 gallons of distilled water. I do this every 2 years............and I use a "brand new" bucket to catch the old stuff in to see if'n there's anything in the coolant I need to see. So far, so good on Mighty Whitey!!!:thumb1:

That's good to know. My problem was I bought a second hand vehical. So I just have to roll with the punches till it's all straightened out.
  • 1 year later...

Time to install a new water pump today. Started leaking a little out the weep hole. I had purchased a 180* thermostat to replace the one in the truck (plus belt, hoses, tensioner) to do the 100k PM stuff. Will the 180* thermostat create any problems with the computer looking for 200* which is where it has always run long as I have had the truck. I just thought about this after I bought the new thermostat of course. I have never heard of the computer throwing any codes due to a cooler running thermostat but had to ask.BTW getting my new custom made aluminum driveshafts this Friday! 5" with oversize Spicer u-joints in the rear and 3" for the front. Slowly getting this truck bulletproof as possible.

Time to install a new water pump today. Started leaking a little out the weep hole. I had purchased a 180* thermostat to replace the one in the truck (plus belt, hoses, tensioner) to do the 100k PM stuff. Will the 180* thermostat create any problems with the computer looking for 200* which is where it has always run long as I have had the truck. I just thought about this after I bought the new thermostat of course. I have never heard of the computer throwing any codes due to a cooler running thermostat but had to ask. BTW getting my new custom made aluminum driveshafts this Friday! 5" with oversize Spicer u-joints in the rear and 3" for the front. Slowly getting this truck bulletproof as possible.

If you tow then it will mess with your fan settings. The max allowed temp, per Cummins, on a 180° is 212° which is below the 100% fan setting. 180° will also yield lower mileage. I have yet to figure out why people want a cooler thermostat.
What is the correct temp rating for the thermostat? Guessing it is 200* since that is where my truck has always run. Force of habit I guess because I have always put in 180* thermostats in every vehicle I ever owned and that was the correct temp. I need to pick up the correct stat so I can finish the job knowing it is done right. Thanks!

Since this is a CR thread, and your sig isn't filled out, I will assume a 3rd gen. 190° is the OEM temp. I have considered a 200° for winter use, hotter air and slightly better economy, and I will not increase fan operation since I don't tow in the winter.

I picked up a 190* thermostat at the parts place will put that (correct) one in. The water pump replacement wasn't bad at all. Removing the airbox is the key as that allows easiest access. I didn't have any problem at all breaking the bolts loose even with my short 1/4" drive ratchet. The serpentine drive belt replacement now that was another story. What a total pain.

Thanks for the excellent write up. Hopefully I don't have to do this for some time (as I've replaced the water pump in just the last couple of years), but if I do, it should beat pulling the radiator out of the truck, along with the intercooler and transmission cooler. Sometimes I just can't help but do things the hard way... LOL!

I picked up a 190* thermostat at the parts place will put that (correct) one in. The water pump replacement wasn't bad at all. Removing the airbox is the key as that allows easiest access. I didn't have any problem at all breaking the bolts loose even with my short 1/4" drive ratchet. The serpentine drive belt replacement now that was another story. What a total pain.

Drove from Houston to San Antonio and truck ran flawlessly. Temp held around 200* as normal. I got the new driveshafts installed and it is amazing how smooth the truck runs now. Huge Spicer u-joints! That 5" aluminum driveshaft is a work of art. I tried adding to signature and it's not letting me do it so remain signature-less.