Instructions for replacing the pump on a Chevrolet Niva, tips for diagnostics and selection of spare parts

Repair / From Ekaterina Larina

• Replacing the pump of a Niva Chevrolet car
  Selecting a pump
• Pump location
• Required Tools
• Procedure for replacing the pump

  Video: replacing the water pump

Any internal combustion engine requires constant cooling during operation. The central place in the cooling system is occupied by a water pump, which ensures forced circulation of antifreeze through the channels of the engine walls. Operating a car with a faulty pump can lead to tragic consequences for the owner.

Why do you need a pump in a car?

The water pump of the internal combustion engine circulates antifreeze in the cooling circuit. Thanks to it, the heated liquid from the cylinder block enters the radiator, where it releases heat to the environment.

The Chevrolet Niva pump has a simple centrifugal design: the flow of antifreeze is directed by a rotating impeller, which is driven by a timing belt.

In the event of a malfunction, the liquid stops circulating and the thermal regime of the motor is disrupted. This leads to boiling of antifreeze and, if the engine is not turned off, to breakage of the low-melting bearing liners. In this case, major repairs or replacement of the unit will be required.

Review of manufacturers (which one is better to choose)

The “originality” of the Pekar pump can be checked through the manufacturer’s official website

But few motorists today know which pump is recommended to be installed on the Niva. Some hobbyists conduct independent tests of these nodes, and some seek help on the Internet or from friends who have also encountered this problem.

Most car enthusiasts prefer spare parts from abroad. Below is a list of the most popular manufacturers:

• Airtex (Spain).
• SKF (Germany-Spain).
• Hepu (Germany).

Pump manufacturer Hepu

All these companies are engaged in the production of pumps for cooling systems. Such spare parts are distinguished by their performance, since they all have large impellers made of cast iron , which guarantees good pumping of liquid in the system and the durability of the pump, since its main parts are made not of metal, but of cast iron, and therefore they are less susceptible to corrosion.

It is noted that seals and bearings also affect the performance of the pump and its service life. Experiments by owners with such pumps confirm this.

Pumps with metal impeller manufactured by Hepu and Tai

Pumps from the company Graf are especially popular . They differ from the others in their large impeller, its correct offset, and long service life. If the unit is installed correctly, it can last 4-5 years with proper operation. Such a resource for pumps is considered normal.

It should be noted that in most cases the pump may fail not because of its old age, but because of improper tension of the drive belt. This affects the centering of the shaft and therefore the bearings quickly fail.

, which can also be installed on a Chevrolet Niva, performed well Its special feature is reinforced bearings. The disadvantage is that the site has a lot of fakes. At first glance, such a part is difficult to distinguish from the original, since the Chinese have learned to bypass all methods of protecting the original product. One of the differences between the original is that the kit comes with a cork gasket, while the fake one is made of paper.

Survey

Choosing a cheap pump

The fact that the pump has failed can be determined by the characteristic sound that appears when the engine starts. When replacing the pump on your own, you should remember that a similar unit from a “penny” will fit on a Chevrolet Niva , but it will no longer fit on a regular Niva. It should also be noted that the pump from the VAZ-2101 is cheaper than the original one from Chevrolet. This will be useful for those who do not have the opportunity to spend a lot of money on purchasing spare parts from a foreign manufacturer. But it also happens that finding foreign parts is quite difficult, especially if they are needed quickly.

Any internal combustion engine requires constant cooling during operation. The central place in the cooling system is occupied by a water pump, which ensures forced circulation of antifreeze through the channels of the engine walls. Operating a car with a faulty pump can lead to tragic consequences for the owner.

Signs of breakdown

Most often, the seal or bearing of the unit breaks. As a result, the pump begins to leak, which can lead to loss of antifreeze or engine seizure. The impeller may also break or break. You can understand that the pump needs replacement by the following signs:

• the characteristic smell of antifreeze vapor in the cabin;
• extraneous noise when the engine is running;
• the appearance of antifreeze drops under the car;
• engine overheating;
• drop in coolant level in the expansion tank.

Preparatory stage

Like any work related to car repair, replacing a Chevrolet Niva pump should begin with preparing the necessary tools, fixtures and consumables. For repair you will need:

• keys for 13 and 10;
• crosshead screwdriver;
• sealant;
• coolant.

The preparatory stage does not end here. The fact is that the pipe system and thermostat will not allow normal access to the pump, so they will first have to be dismantled.

First, the air duct is removed, disconnected from the throttle assembly and from the air filter housing.

Having opened access to the thermostat, you need to remove all the pipes from it; you can read how to do this here . If the pump replacement was not caused by a fluid leak, then most likely the coolant will begin to pour out when the pipes are disconnected. In this case, you should drain it in advance by any available method. After removing the thermostat, everything is ready to replace the hydraulic pump.

How to change it yourself?

If you decide to do the work yourself, you will need a new pump for the Niva and a standard set of tools.

Required materials and tools

Chevrolet Niva is easy to maintain, so replacing the pump yourself will not take much time. You will need:

• new pump with gasket;
• antifreeze for topping up;
• a screwdriver for removing clamps from the cooling system pipes;
• knife for cleaning the pump housing;
• socket or socket wrenches 13 or 17;
• container for draining antifreeze.

It is necessary to place the car on a level surface, turn off the engine and apply the handbrake.

You cannot change the pump on a Shnivy if the engine is warmed up to operating temperature - you may get burns. To speed up cooling and begin repairs earlier, open the hood.

Work progress

Before you begin replacing the water pump on a Niva with air conditioning, you need to drain the excess coolant. If it has already leaked out (which usually happens when the pump breaks down), you can start working right away.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Remove the air filter bell;

2. Remove the pipes going to the thermostat and pump;

3. Unscrew the 3 nuts securing the cooling fan;

4. Loosen the 3 bolts securing the pump impeller using a 13mm flat wrench

5. Loosen the generator belt, you need to loosen 3 bolts

6. Loosen the tension with a socket wrench and remove the belt;

7. Unscrew the nuts securing the pulley using a size 13 wrench and pull it out;

8. Unscrew the 4 nuts holding the Chevy Niva pump;

9. Remove the water pump, it will be more convenient to do this through the bottom by unscrewing the 2 bolts securing the protection;

10. Remove the remaining sealant and old gasket with a knife;

11. Apply a thin layer of sealant to the block and the new pump;

12. Install a new gasket;

Next, all operations are performed in reverse order:

What pumps are installed on carburetor and injection Nivas

Although the good old Nivas are in many ways similar to the new fuel-injected cars, there are differences, including in the water pumps. The part is produced for different modifications of the car in question. For example, pump 21230–1307011–82 can be installed on all Nivas, but in some cases a spare part for 2107, which has a wider impeller, can be used.

When buying a pump, you need to be careful and make sure that the housing fits the impeller. Otherwise, installation difficulties will arise. To avoid mistakes, you can purchase a complete pump, i.e. cover and housing.

Although the classic pump is suitable for the injection Niva, the part may simply not cope with the high temperature and will need to be replaced sooner. The following types of parts exist:

• a standard pump with a plastic impeller, the blades of which are located lower and have an elongated shape;
• a new type pump, also equipped with a plastic impeller with longer blades;
• HEPU water pump, which has a cast iron impeller.

The last option is considered the most reliable, since the impeller, made of plastic, simply melts and deforms at high temperatures, as a result of which the element can break off the axis and the pump jams. The advantage of spare parts with a plastic impeller is their reasonable price and availability.

The HEPU pump is considered the most reliable option for Niva cars, since the impeller is made of cast iron

Replacing the oil seal and bearings

When there is no desire or possibility to completely replace the pump on the Niva-Chevrolet, we will fix the problem by replacing the oil seal and shaft with bearings. We remove the impeller from the pump, remove the old gasket from the shaft, and place a new one in the previously cleaned area. The shaft is changed using the same method. The fastening bolts are removed, the faulty shaft is removed and replaced with a new one. However, replacing individual parts has its drawbacks: The cost of bearings and oil seals is much higher, so it is more profitable to buy a complete water pump. It is not recommended to change just one thing, the shaft, oil seal or impeller. This pump will not last long. Parts purchased separately may not fit. You will have to process them with sandpaper, or the impeller blades will touch the housing.

Problem

Two issues on the agenda. This is the quality of the product and the re-upholstery of drive belts by the people and Papuans. The court supplier of AvtoVAZ is the TZA plant (Togliatti Automotive Components Plant), which makes truly high-quality domestic products. But the number of fakes is simply off the charts. The Chinese have long since bypassed packaging, holograms and SMS codes on the box. Now the most important protection against counterfeit products is a reliable supplier who works directly with the factory. With the issue of re-tensioning the belts, the picture is sad. In 70% of destroyed pumps: either the belt was too tight or was of poor quality.

Design

Classic centrifugal pump of console type. The working shaft, mounted on bearings in an aluminum alloy housing, has a flange on one side for attaching the drive pulley. On the other side, an impeller with curved blades is rigidly fixed to the shaft. Single-row ball bearings, non-standardized, the inner race is the shaft itself, in which the ball raceways are made. The outer race of the bearings is common, pressed into the housing with an interference fit and is additionally secured with a screw. On the outside, the bearing is protected by a conventional cuff; on the impeller side, an oil seal of a complex design is installed, in a steel cage, with two protective rings. The bearings are lubricated at the factory; replenishment of lubricant is not provided for by the design.

The impeller, depending on the manufacturer, can be made of cast iron, steel or plastic.

The pump pulley receives rotation from the crankshaft through a poly-V belt, which simultaneously drives the generator and power steering. The belt tension is adjusted by a movable roller.

The Chevrolet Niva pump traces its origins back to the water pump of the legendary “penny”, VAZ-2101.

The durability of a critical component, according to the laws of logic, should be close to the service life of the engine itself, but something went wrong in the domestic auto industry. If a “penny” car required engine overhaul no earlier than 130...150 thousand kilometers, and the owner did not even know where the pump was installed, then today’s components do not last that long.

In the vastness and wilds of the Internet you can find a variety of data on the service life of the Chevrolet Niva water pump, from 10 to 80 thousand mileage, but most sources agree: every 60 thousand mileage we change the alternator belt, which means we change the tension roller, and At the same time, we replace the pump if it has not “quacked” before.

Causes of water pump failure

The most common reason is failure of the oil seal on the impeller side. Hot, more than a hundred degrees, antifreeze flows into the bearings, washes out the lubricant from them and flows out through the outer cuff. Further events develop like an avalanche - destruction of bearings, shaft misalignment, antifreeze pouring out of the pump body. If the pump shaft gets stuck in the loose balls, the drive belt may break.

It is very rare, but destruction of the plastic impeller and pump impeller occurs. As a rule, this is caused by the use of low-quality coolant. The main component of both antifreeze and antifreeze is ethylene glycol mixed with distilled water and various inhibitor additives. At low temperatures, if the recipe is broken, the coolant turns into a thick mess of ice crystals. In severe frost, when starting the engine and warming up, the pump experiences high loads, which cause the blades of the plastic impeller to break.

Symptoms and diagnostics

Failure of the impeller oil seal causes coolant to leak from the drive pulley. It is quite difficult to determine a leak visually or by touch; the pulley and the pump itself are well “hidden” under the hood.

It is recommended that, after leaving the parking lot, you inspect the place where the car was parked. Traces of coolant on asphalt or snow can alert the owner to a possible defect. Also, a coolant leak can be prevented by a decrease in its level in the expansion tank.

Working shaft bearings operating without lubrication emit a characteristic noise when the engine is running, which increases as they wear out. Before the “finish”, the squeal of the impeller rubbing against the housing may also be added.

In a working water pump, there is practically no play of the working shaft in the bearings. If, after shaking the pulley with the belt by hand, you find even a slight gap, repairs are urgently needed.

If the impeller is destroyed, the coolant circulation stops, the engine quickly overheats, and the red warning light comes on. Antifreeze in the “water jacket” can boil and tear off the pipes, or squeeze out the head gasket.

Thermostat failure causing similar symptoms is extremely rare. If the thermostat breaks, it is usually in the open position; this is provided for by its design.

In any case, the engine should be turned off immediately and a tow should be sought to move to the repair site.

Repair or replacement?

It is theoretically possible to repair the pump. To do this, it is enough to have a new working shaft assembled with bearings, oil seal, impeller and cuff. Once upon a time, in the days of the Zhiguli, such a repair kit could be “obtained”.

Add a new housing to the listed parts - and you will get a “water pump assembly”, which today can be purchased without any problems in specialized stores.

By the way. Henry Ford once said: We make cars so that we can sell spare parts for them.

About choice

AvtoVAZ catalog number: 2123-1307011-75.

It is equipped with a water pump produced by Tolyatti Automotive Units Plant CJSC (TZA).

On the shelves you can also find products from domestic SOATE, Fenox, Pekar. Of the imported ones, they are famous for the quality of products from Hepu (Germany), Graf (Italy), SKF (Germany - Spain).

The cost of a domestic unit starts from 880-900 rubles, imported ones can be found for 1900.

Counterfeit products from various shady manufacturers are very common on the market; outwardly they are practically no different from the original.

• A high-quality pump is packaged in a plastic bag and a bright cardboard box. The packaging must include the catalog number, specifications, Russian and ISO certificate numbers.
• The product kit includes a gasket made of a special material similar to cardboard. A paronite gasket is a sign of a fake!
• It is advisable to choose a pump with a cast iron or steel impeller.

Replacing the pump on a Niva Chevrolet

Work can be performed on any level surface.

From the tool you will need:

• Open-end spanners “13” and “10”. (Better, of course, are sockets with a 50 mm extension and a ratchet, but not everyone has them.)
• Open-end wrenches “7”, for worm-drive clamps.
• Screwdrivers: flat and Phillips.
• Pliers (pliers).

• Actually a new pump with a gasket.
• Antifreeze or antifreeze, depending on what is poured into the cooling system.
• Hose, internal diameter 10 mm, length approx. 0.7 m and a plastic basin.
• Automotive sealant, any.
• A funnel and a piece of nylon stocking.

Selection of spare parts – which company is better?

Buying a cheap, low-quality product can cause serious damage to the power unit. Defective or counterfeit parts may leak almost immediately after installation.

It is also possible that the pump may jam, accompanied by a broken timing belt and “meeting” of the valves with the pistons. Then the cost of a tow truck will be added to the expensive repairs.

Therefore, it is better to buy a water pump only from a trusted manufacturer - HEPU , Metelli , Dolz , Valeo . From domestic products, TZA or Phenox .

To avoid buying a fake, use the services of a trusted seller or online store. Consultants will tell you which pump is suitable for your car and help you choose a high-quality spare part that matches your repair budget.

Sequence of work

If by the time of replacement the antifreeze has not yet leaked out, its remains should be drained from the cooling system into a container by unscrewing the radiator cap from the top and then from the bottom. Replacing the pump on a Niva Chevrolet with air conditioning will take a little longer, because the air conditioner bracket is attached to the pump. It will also have to be removed. To keep the fans out of the way, unscrew them and move them to the radiator. To get to the pump itself, you can also jack up the car and remove the right front wheel. Using a 13mm wrench you need to unscrew the two nuts that hold the fluid supply tube to the pump. We do this carefully so as not to damage the hose, otherwise you will have to change it too. Unscrew the pump mounting bolts from both the top and bottom. We do not touch the belt tensioners. Then unscrew the nuts of the main fasteners of the pump and one stud. The pump on the Niva-Chevrolet is replaced by carefully removing it. We clean everything thoroughly, you can even rinse the radiator with water, and lubricate it with sealant. We insert the new pump according to the same procedure, only in reverse order. We insert a new gasket onto the housing lubricated with sealant, and install the pump on the bolts from the bottom side. We tighten the nuts as tightly as possible so that there is no play. We put a belt on the pulley and scroll until the pump holes are in their original places. If necessary, the belt can be loosened. We remove the thermostat and clean the tubes, lubricate them and install them in place.

Replacing the Chevrolet Niva pump. — logbook Chevrolet Niva on DRIVE2

A new oil seal is installed in the cleaned area. Replacing a Niva Chevrolet pump repair allows you to restore the tightness of the pump. To make work easier, you can lubricate the oil seal with antifreeze. Replacing pump bearings Replacing bearings will require a special vice for pressing out, and the work itself can take a long time.

Therefore, the shaft and bearings are usually replaced. This is done as follows.

The impeller is removed from the pump. The shaft is removed along with the bearings.

The process of replacing the rear axle oil seal

You should first turn off the engine. Further:

1. Release the brake (parking) lever if it has been depressed.
2. Drain the oil from the bridge and screw the drain plug back on.
   Drain the oil from the bridge and screw the plug back on.
3. Disconnect the axle shafts.
   Removing the axle shaft seal.

   Dismantling the axle shafts

4. Disconnect the cardan from the bridge.
   Disconnect the cardan from the bridge.
5. Check the tightening force of the nut using a torque wrench and remember this reading.
   We check the moment of resistance to turning the drive gear.
6. Unscrew the nut that secures the flange.
   Unscrew the nut securing the drive gear flange.
7. Remove the washer located under the nut.
   Remove the flat washer.
8. Remove the flange from the bridge.
   Remove the drive gear flange.
9. Use a screwdriver to remove the oil seal.
   Using a screwdriver, remove the old oil seal.
10. Lubricate the new oil seal and install it in place (Litol-24).
    The outer side of the oil seal should be lubricated with sealant. Lubricate the new oil seal before installation.
11. Install the oil seal using a hammer, lightly tapping the oil seal.
    Installation depth – 1.7–2.2 mm from the end. Install a new oil seal using a mandrel and a hammer.
12. Install the washer and nut.
13. Tighten the nut. Tightening torque – 120-150 Nm.
14. Further, all installation work should be done in reverse order.