zrtman1

I need to replace my AC pump due to seal is leaking. Can I sneak out past the kooks headers or do I have to pull the water pump?

K-Spaz

I've not removed one on a car with headers, but the stock path is to go out through the wheel well. The Headers are not in the way for that are they? Regardless, the pump does not come out the top. You would take the wheel off and go out to the side.

zrtman1

I thought it was out by the front of the block (removing water pump) or remove exhaust manifold and take it out from the back? Headers are pretty tight against block. I do not think you can just unbolt/pull the stud out and lift straight up (wont clear its bracket I think)??

Frame is in way to take it out from wheel well??

lionelhutz

You have to pull the header or pull the water pump to get it out.

It will not go out through the wheel well since the frame and glued on inner fender are in the way. There's just a nice gap under the frame and above the crossmember where you can reach in to take out the lower compressor bolts.

zrtman1

Ahhhh figured that, but had to ask. Thank you!

K-Spaz

I dropped the cradle a little, not even enough the bolts came out, and mine came out through the wheel well without draining the coolant from the motor. Ymmv.

Just looked at my headers and there's no reason it could not be done that way now. Though they are not Kooks headers, they can't be that different.

lionelhutz

I have no idea how you'd get the compressor to pass from the engine into the wheel well when the gap between the frame and the crossmember is about 1/5 the diameter of the compressor.....

I just changed my compressor a week ago. There is absolutely no way it was coming out without either completely dropping the crossmember, removing the water pump or removing my XSPower header. I removed the header.

K-Spaz

You may be correct and I could be recalling wrong, mine has been 2 years ago now. I know there was a reason to get in from the side and drop that cradle some. Now that you mention it, I am thinking the bolts to get the compressor out have to be done through that hole in the frame/inner fender. I don't have my car here to look at that now, but I recall vividly the wheel had to come off and something had to be removed in there to get access to the compressor. Inner fender maybe? I really don't recall removing the water pump. In fact, I had to replace that last year and it was for goop buildup on the outside of the hose connections. So that definitely did not come off.

Boy, I'm damn near certain I took that out through where the inner fender is. Unless I'm really remembering wrong... I've done so much to that car that I could be mistaken, but I don't think so in this case. That was really not a fun job. I did an evaporator at the same time.

lionelhutz

The bolts are the only thing coming out through the wheel well.

There is no inner fender to unbolt. That part of the inner fender is glued to the car.

K-Spaz

I just went out and looked at mine and yep, there's a fairly large hole where the inner fender is away from the frame there. It doesn't need much more. (Mines a 98 if that matters). I dropped the cradle and took it out the side.

lionelhutz

Well, if you completely dropped the cradle because it has to drop about 4". The gap is under 4" and the compressor is around 8" in diameter.

Disconnecting the shocks, upper A-arms, engine mounts, supporting the engine, wires, brake lines etc doesn't make it a simple job.

zrtman1

FYI definitely have to pull water pump even with headers.

93Polo

I think I had rather pull the radiator and then steering rack. I believe it comes out going forward and then up without dropping the subframe.

Danlb

I just replaced mine last week. While I was in there I also replaced the stock radiator with a nice thick DeWitts so it was already out of the way. I removed the water pump and the steering rack was not an issue but removing the Vortec supercharger form A&A Corvette sure slowed me down a little .