Guys, I have recently gone to a second gen water pump housing in my first gen engine for the weight loss. The second gen housing seems to work best with the first gen water pump so I went that way. That said I have "lost" the bolt the alternator tensioner bracket bolts to and I need to come up with a different way to bolt the bracket down. Everything I have thought of to do is very involved and labor intensive. Has anyone who has done this mod got a simple way to bolt the alt bracket to the engine? If not I will be able to work it out but seeing what others have done could be a big help. As always, thanks for any help.

 

Why not use the FC water pump?

 

Ya use the 2nd gen pump. Thats what i did. Only reason people use the 1st gen pump with second gen housing is because there is a aluminium 1st gen pump. But save yourself the work and use the second gen pump

 

OK, So I pulled the 1st g. w.p. and got the 2gwp ready to install. The first gen engine front housing has no place to install the bolt that will go to the alt tensioner bracket so unless I go with a second gen engine, I'm still not seeing any good way to get a tensioner pulley. This way looks like WAY more work. 99% of the time that I feel like this, it's because I'm missing something simple soooo; What have you guys done? Thread the end plate? Thread the wp housing bolt hole and put in a bigger bolt? JB weld the hole shut and thread it for a bolt? (just kidding on that one).

 

Looked at the picture Coltdaddy posted and it's obvious it has a larger WP bolt in the offending spot. I tapped the WP housing and drilled the WP and bracket and it all looks good now. I'll get the WP in tomorrow and continue on with the Fuel Injection project.

 

Yeah, I can't really remember the details of this install since I did it, but there were some minor modifications needed. I'd take a picture for you, but I'm not at home right now.

I went with a 1st gen water pump because I had one in aluminum and saw that it would fit.

Great mod, hard to believe what that cast iron piece weighs!



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i used a helicoil in mine, and they i can use the stock FB bolt for the bracket. rear side just got filled with RTV. i did this in the 90's and two cars later its still fine

 

Does the S4 or S5 housing make it easier to use the first gen water pump?

 

Use the S4, the S5 has different bolt locations and wont work with S3 or S4 pumps.
Photo of 1st gen pump on S5 housing.

 

If you use either s4 or 5,you have to use the fan that matches the water pump. Unless you use an e-fan. Using said housing is for weight saving.

 

The pulley needs to match the water pump as well. Mazda kept screwing around with the pilot bore diameter.

 

Good point peejay,I forgot to mention that.