How to Install a Water Pump in a Chrysler Town & Cou

Open the hood and use a screwdriver to unscrew the clamp that connects the negative battery cable to the battery post. Remove the cable.

Lift up the Chrysler Town & Country with a jack and use the jack stands to shore it up. You also need something to support the engine, like an engine support bar or lift, so you can remove the engine mounts.

Uncap the radiator's cap slowly to release pressure. Locate the drain plug at the bottom of the radiator, just behind the grill. Place an empty container under the drain plug, remove the plug using an adjustable wrench and drain the radiator.

Mark in grease pencil on the timing belt its position in each pulley before removal. This will save time during reinstallation. However, if you need to replace the timing belt, then you can skip this part.

Disconnect or remove the parts in front of the water pump. In order, these include: right inner splash shield, accessory drive belts, right motor mount and bracket, front cover, timing belt, timing belt idler pulley, camshaft sprockets, timing belt rear cover, alternator and bracket.

Twist off the bolts securing the water pump to the engine using the adjustable wrench. Remove the pump, o-ring and any sealant pieces from the engine block.

Place high temperature automotive sealant on the new water pump, in a position that coordinates to the o-ring groove. Position the o-ring over the sealant on the pump and hold it in place as you mount the new water pump on the side of the Chrysler Town & Country's engine.

Insert the new bolts into the holes. Tighten the bolts, using the torque tightening measurements that vary by the engine. A 3.0L engine uses 20 foot pounds of torque to secure these bolts, while the 2.4L, 3.3L and 3.8L engines need 105 inch pounds torque tightening.

Reconnect the other engine parts in the order they came off the Chrysler Town & Country, tightening key components with a torque wrench to the proper torque. The water pump pulley bolts require 250 inch pounds torque. On the right mount, the frame rail bolts need 50 foot pounds, 75 foot pounds and 111 foot pounds torque for the vertical and horizontal fasteners respectively. The camshaft sprocket bolts need 75 foot pounds and the timing belt idler pulley bolt 45 foot pounds torque.

Replace the timing belt, using your grease pencil marks as a guide. Finish reconnecting the other parts.

Reinstall the drain plug and refill the radiator with the amount and type of coolant specified in your owner's manual. Remove the engine support, jack and jack stands. Attach the negative battery cable to the post and tighten the screw on the clamp.

Start the engine and check for leaks. Then, close the hood and take the van on a test drive.