CX-9 Water Pump Replacement DIY Guide

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2008 Mazda CX-9 Touring FWD . 2014 CX-5 GT FWD
CX-9 Water Pump Replacement DIY Guide
(originally appeared in Engine sub 5/2017 here https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123860369-CX-9-Water-Pump-Replacement-DIY-Guide



For those looking to spend a few fun-filled hours changing out their Water Pump, VVT, Timing Chain or Guides on the 3.7L engine, here's a 40 page guide for you. Click on the dropbox link below.

This project was done on a 2008 Touring FWD but applies to any Gen-1 CX-9 with the 3.7L V6 engine.

Please let me know if you find errors or omissions.

I have included the service manual pdf as well.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yjma0fz8erwwot0/AABFWhv7jUDn-E1Fl669LHUja?dl=0
 
Last edited:
CX-9 Water Pump Replacement DIY Guide
(originally appeared in Engine sub 5/2017 here https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123860369-CX-9-Water-Pump-Replacement-DIY-Guide



For those looking to spend a few fun-filled hours changing out their Water Pump, VVT, Timing Chain or Guides on the 3.7L engine, here's a 40 page guide for you. Click on the dropbox link below.

This project was done on a 2008 Touring FWD but applies to any Gen-1 CX-9 with the 3.7L V6 engine.

Please let me know if you find errors or omissions.

I have included the service manual pdf as well.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yjma0fz8erwwot0/AABFWhv7jUDn-E1Fl669LHUja?dl=0

I'm going to replace the water pump as soon as I get some time... I'm acquiring parts right now.

I had a few questions after reading through the guide:
1. I noticed that your parts list has a "WRONG" listed next to the "Guide, Chain (Right Upper)"...Is that the wrong part number or did you correct it and forget to delete the "WRONG" ? The online part lookup system still has the same part number...

2. I'm trying to decide how crazy to get while in there. You stated that the chain guides all looked pretty good except for the camshaft tensioners. Are these the same part that you described as missing the hole (step 36)? I probably will just go ahead and replace all the guides, but I wanted to understand if the secondary camshaft tensioners should be replaced as well.

3. In your opinion, is replacing the chain overkill? If it didn't stretch, I'm wondering if it's worth doing...

4. After doing it once, can you think of any way to avoid getting the coolant in the oil pan? I'm wondering if there some way to get the coolant out in a more controlled manner...

Thanks for the guide.
 
I'm going to replace the water pump as soon as I get some time... I'm acquiring parts right now.

I had a few questions after reading through the guide:
1. I noticed that your parts list has a "WRONG" listed next to the "Guide, Chain (Right Upper)"...Is that the wrong part number or did you correct it and forget to delete the "WRONG" ? The online part lookup system still has the same part number...

2. I'm trying to decide how crazy to get while in there. You stated that the chain guides all looked pretty good except for the camshaft tensioners. Are these the same part that you described as missing the hole (step 36)? I probably will just go ahead and replace all the guides, but I wanted to understand if the secondary camshaft tensioners should be replaced as well.

3. In your opinion, is replacing the chain overkill? If it didn't stretch, I'm wondering if it's worth doing...

4. After doing it once, can you think of any way to avoid getting the coolant in the oil pan? I'm wondering if there some way to get the coolant out in a more controlled manner...

Thanks for the guide.

1. The part I received when ordering using that number was indeed wrong. Since the original was not in bad shape I returned it and moved on.

2. The secondary camshaft guides did have some wear on them comparable to the guide shown in the before/after pic and were candidates for replacement. They weren't that bad and the parts were not readily available so I skipped them.

My camshaft chain tensioners (yes, the ones shown in step 36) were fine so I never worried about replacing them. The camshaft chains are also very short so the tensioner's effect on timing is not as large in the event of failure as the main timing chain tensioner down below. The good news is that all the tensioners used in this engine are a pretty bullet-proof design unlike the infamous units found in VW and Audi engines that are almost certain to fail and are the source of several big lawsuits.

3. You won't know if the old timing chain has stretched any unless you have a new one for comparison and use a precision instrument to measure (I should change the caption in my pic, LOL). While I won't go into the normal stretching all chains endure, timing chains don't really "stretch" much over time, however the pins wear in addition to the sprockets they run on. The combination can add up to slack over a whole bunch of time and cause your timing to be off by a few degrees. I think replacing the chain could easily be skipped, but given the time and effort required just to get in there, and the fact that I was saving big bucks with the DIY, the extra ~$80 didn't matter much to me.

4. To avoid the coolant in the pan you need to be crazy thorough at blocking off all avenues for the fluid that comes out when you pull the pump - I was not. I should have stuffed a whole bunch of shop towels around the area and then used plastic on top. Had I done that I probably still would have missed a few drops, but it would have been minimal.

I also should have left the oil pan drain open as that would have drained off a lot of what got past my sheeting and warned me that I had a problem. I had it closed to prevent any more mess in the area when jacking the engine up and down and failed to notice the coolant that got in the pan. I can't really say how much got passed, but any is too much.

Even in a perfect scenario of towel use I would still plan on a quick oil change once you are done. Add oil, run engine for 30-60 seconds and then drain again. The cost of a few quarts of oil is cheap insurance and will flush out the few drops of coolant that may get past your towels and sheeting.

I have put almost 7k on the car since I did the job and all's well, so the brief experience with chocolate milk for oil has had no lasting effects.

I hope the guide helps. Work slow and be safe.
 
Thank you so much for all the info!!

I wasn't sure if I should buy a replacement engine, do all the maintenance work and then swapping it in. I would rather keep the engine I currently have since it was maintained well since 10k miles and haven't had any issues.

Is the job very well doable without dropping the engine completely? Was it very difficult to put the cover back on with the gasket sealer? I'm wondering if there would be things in the way, brushing off the gasket sealant.

Do you know any places that rent the camshaft locking tool?
 
Thank you so much for all the info!!

I wasn't sure if I should buy a replacement engine, do all the maintenance work and then swapping it in. I would rather keep the engine I currently have since it was maintained well since 10k miles and haven't had any issues.

Is the job very well doable without dropping the engine completely? Was it very difficult to put the cover back on with the gasket sealer? I'm wondering if there would be things in the way, brushing off the gasket sealant.

Do you know any places that rent the camshaft locking tool?

You're welcome.

As the guide shows, you do not drop (or pull) the engine completely, only jack it up and down a bit to gain clearance during the work. The driver side mount is never removed.

It wasn't difficult to get the cover back on while avoinding scraping off the wet gasket, but that was because I had a partner spotting for me as I slowly lowered it down into position. It was a bit tedious, but not really hard. The worst that can happen is that you bump the sealant, pull the cover back up and try again.

I know of no one who rents the cam locking tool (used to be some on ebay), but you really don't need it. As shown in the guide, I did the whole job just using 2 large crescent wrenches.
 
Thank you so much for all the info!!

I wasn't sure if I should buy a replacement engine, do all the maintenance work and then swapping it in. I would rather keep the engine I currently have since it was maintained well since 10k miles and haven't had any issues.

Is the job very well doable without dropping the engine completely? Was it very difficult to put the cover back on with the gasket sealer? I'm wondering if there would be things in the way, brushing off the gasket sealant.

Do you know any places that rent the camshaft locking tool?

I have the camshaft locking tools, I could send them to you but you would need to cover the shipping cost. PM me if you are interested.
 
I got my crankshaft pulley off with a small pipe wrench and breaker bar and socket.
-If you are sitting on the ground looking at you crankshaft pulley take a pipe wrench and turn it away from you so that you are looking at the heal of it. Stick the pipe wrench in to the pulley with the bottom teeth on the outside edge of the pulley and the upper teeth in between the bolt and the inside edge of the pulley. When you go to crank the bolt the pipe wrench will turn and rest against the ac and boom.
 
My bad, sir. I believe it must have been my VPN security on my work laptop as the link is good right now from my phone. Your contribution is stellar. I may end up doing a pump one day on my cx9. Gonna roll the dice a while longer though.
 
timing chains don't really "stretch" much over time, however the pins wear in addition to the sprockets they run on
Thank you for this clarification. While the chain may actually be longer, it isn't due to stretch. It is due to wear in the pins and bushings. It's this wear that is weakening the chain as well as the damaging excess slack you mention that are the problems.
 
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