🔧 Grand Cherokee - Water Pump Replacement

This repair replaces the water pump on your Grand Cherokee’s 5.7L HEMI engine. The water pump moves coolant through the engine and radiator, so a leak, bearing noise, wobbling pulley, or overheating concern means it should be replaced promptly.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2.5-4 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Let the engine cool fully before opening the cooling system. Hot coolant can spray out and burn you.
• ⚠️ Disconnect the negative battery cable before working around the belt, pulleys, and cooling fan.
• ⚠️ Coolant is poisonous. Keep it away from children and animals, and catch all drained coolant in a pan.
• ⚠️ If you lift the front of your Grand Cherokee, support it with jack stands. Never work under a vehicle held only by a jack.
• ⚠️ Use the correct OAT coolant. Do not mix coolant types.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• 3/8-inch drive ratchet
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 8mm socket
• 10mm socket
• 13mm socket
• 15mm socket
• 16mm socket
• 3/8-inch drive extension set
• Serpentine belt tool (specialty)
• Torque wrench 10-80 ft-lbs
• Torque wrench 20-250 in-lbs
• Flat-head screwdriver
• Hose clamp pliers
• Plastic trim clip removal tool
• Coolant drain pan 3-gallon minimum
• Plastic gasket scraper
• Brake cleaner aerosol
• Shop towels
• Spill-free coolant funnel kit (specialty)
• Floor jack rated 3-ton minimum
• Jack stands rated 3-ton minimum
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine water pump - Qty: 1
• Water pump gasket - Qty: 1
• Thermostat housing gasket or O-ring - Qty: 1
• OAT 50/50 premix coolant - Qty: 2 gallons
• Serpentine belt - Qty: 1
• Radiator hose clamp - Qty: As needed

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🚗 Park your Grand Cherokee on level ground, shift to Park, and apply the parking brake.
• ❄️ Wait until the engine is completely cold before removing the coolant cap.
• 🔋 Use a 10mm socket to disconnect the negative battery cable.
• 🧰 A serpentine belt tool is a long, thin wrench that moves the belt tensioner so the belt can come off safely.
• 🧰 A spill-free coolant funnel holds extra coolant above the fill point and helps trapped air escape while refilling.
• ♻️ Have a sealed container ready for old coolant so it can be recycled properly.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove the Engine Cover and Air Intake Duct

• Lift the plastic engine cover straight up by hand and set it aside.
• Use an 8mm socket or flat-head screwdriver to loosen the air intake duct clamps.
• Remove the intake duct by hand and place it away from the work area.
• Take photos before removing parts.

Step 2: Drain the Coolant

• Put on safety glasses and nitrile gloves.
• Place a 3-gallon coolant drain pan under the radiator drain area.
• Slowly remove the coolant reservoir cap by hand only when the engine is cold.
• Open the radiator drain petcock by hand or with pliers if accessible.
• If the drain is not accessible, use hose clamp pliers to loosen the lower radiator hose clamp, then carefully slide the hose back enough to drain coolant.
• Close the drain petcock or reinstall the lower radiator hose after draining.

Step 3: Create Front Access

• Use a plastic trim clip removal tool to remove upper radiator cover clips if they block access.
• Use a 10mm socket to remove any upper cover or shroud bolts blocking the water pump area.
• Move the cover aside carefully so the plastic tabs do not break.

Step 4: Remove the Serpentine Belt

• Find the belt routing decal under the hood, or take a clear photo of the belt path.
• Install the serpentine belt tool or 1/2-inch breaker bar onto the belt tensioner.
• Rotate the tensioner clockwise to remove tension from the belt.
• Slide the belt off the water pump pulley by hand.
• Slowly release the tensioner, then remove the belt from the engine bay.
• Release the tensioner slowly.

Step 5: Remove Coolant Hoses from the Pump

• Use hose clamp pliers to squeeze the spring clamp on each hose attached to the water pump.
• Slide each clamp back along the hose.
• Twist each hose by hand to loosen it, then pull it off the water pump.
• Use a flat-head screwdriver only if the hose is stuck, and do not cut or gouge the hose.

Step 6: Remove the Thermostat Housing if Needed

• Use a 13mm socket to remove the thermostat housing bolts if the housing must be transferred to the new pump.
• Pull the thermostat housing away from the water pump by hand.
• Remove and discard the old thermostat housing gasket or O-ring.

Step 7: Remove the Water Pump Pulley

• Use a 13mm socket to loosen the water pump pulley bolts.
• If the pulley spins, hold it carefully by hand with gloves while loosening the bolts.
• Remove the pulley bolts and water pump pulley.

Step 8: Remove the Old Water Pump

• Use a 10mm socket and 13mm socket to remove the water pump mounting bolts.
• Lay the bolts out in the same pattern they came out. Some bolts may be different lengths.
• Pull the water pump straight off the engine.
• If it is stuck, tap the pump body lightly with the handle of a ratchet. Do not pry hard against the aluminum cover.
• Let remaining coolant drain into the drain pan.

Step 9: Clean the Sealing Surface

• Use a plastic gasket scraper to remove old gasket material from the engine front cover.
• Spray brake cleaner onto a shop towel, then wipe the sealing surface clean.
• Do not spray heavily into open coolant passages.
• Do not use a metal scraper because it can scratch the aluminum surface.

Step 10: Install the New Water Pump

• Place the new water pump gasket onto the new water pump.
• Position the pump against the engine by hand.
• Start all water pump bolts by hand before tightening any of them.
• Use a 10mm socket and 13mm socket to snug the bolts evenly in a crisscross pattern.
• Use a torque wrench to tighten the water pump bolts to Torque to 28 Nm (21 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Reinstall the Thermostat Housing

• Install the new thermostat housing gasket or O-ring by hand.
• Position the thermostat housing on the water pump.
• Start the bolts by hand.
• Use a 13mm socket to snug the bolts.
• Use an inch-pound torque wrench to tighten the thermostat housing bolts to Torque to 12 Nm (106 in-lbs).

Step 12: Reinstall the Water Pump Pulley

• Place the pulley onto the water pump hub by hand.
• Start the pulley bolts by hand.
• Use a 13mm socket to snug the pulley bolts evenly.
• Use a torque wrench to tighten the pulley bolts to Torque to 28 Nm (21 ft-lbs).

Step 13: Reconnect the Coolant Hoses

• Push each hose fully onto its fitting by hand.
• Use hose clamp pliers to move each clamp back to its original position.
• Make sure each clamp sits behind the raised bead on the fitting.

Step 14: Install the Serpentine Belt

• Route the serpentine belt around the pulleys using the belt routing decal or your photo.
• Use the serpentine belt tool or 1/2-inch breaker bar to rotate the tensioner clockwise.
• Slip the belt over the final pulley by hand.
• Slowly release the tensioner.
• Check every pulley to make sure the belt ribs sit fully in the grooves.
• Check belt alignment twice.

Step 15: Reinstall Covers and Intake Duct

• Use a 10mm socket to reinstall any upper cover or shroud bolts.
• Use the plastic trim clip removal tool or your fingers to reinstall plastic push clips.
• Reinstall the air intake duct by hand.
• Use an 8mm socket or flat-head screwdriver to tighten the duct clamps.
• Push the engine cover back into place by hand.

Step 16: Refill and Bleed the Cooling System

• Reconnect the negative battery cable using a 10mm socket.
• Install the spill-free coolant funnel kit at the coolant fill point.
• Slowly add OAT 50/50 premix coolant.
• Set the cabin heat to full hot and blower to low.
• Start the engine and let it idle.
• Add coolant as the level drops in the funnel.
• Watch for air bubbles coming out through the funnel.
• When the upper radiator hose gets hot, the thermostat has opened. Add coolant again if the level drops.
• Keep idling until bubbles stop and the heater blows hot air.

Step 17: Final Leak Check

• Use a flashlight to inspect the water pump gasket, thermostat housing, hose ends, and radiator drain area.
• Shut the engine off and let it cool completely.
• Remove the spill-free funnel kit and install the coolant cap by hand.
• Top off the coolant reservoir to the correct level after the engine cools.

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✅ After Repair

• ✅ Start your Grand Cherokee and let it reach normal operating temperature.
• ✅ Confirm the temperature gauge stays steady near normal.
• ✅ Confirm the cabin heater blows hot air.
• ✅ Test drive for 10-15 minutes, then inspect for leaks again.
• ✅ Recheck coolant level after the next full cool-down cycle.
• ✅ If the engine overheats, stop driving immediately and recheck coolant level, trapped air, and belt routing.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $650-$1,050 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $180-$380 (parts only)

You Save: $470-$670 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2.5-4 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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