Water Pump

[2005Beetle]

When installing the water pump there is this little flange with a bolt hole in it that should line up with the top bolt on the water pump but it's to the right when standing on the passenger side facing the engine. Any ideas how to get it to line up?

[2005Beetle]

I removed some backing plate that had the holes in it that I can't line up. Can I just leave it out? It probably provides some protection for an electrical connector that I see nearby.

I guess I bit off more than I can chew. My Haynes manual covers from 1999 to 2005 so it's too general.

Any tips out there? Just trying to get the water pump back in with all the bolt holes lined up.

[pencilneck]

Are you talking about the "post" that sticks out of the water pump that a 10mm bolt from the metal timing belt cover is secured to?

If so, one that upper metal cover, there tends to be a small rounded finger that fits into a small slot, I cut that small rounded finger off, makes fitting this cover back into place a lot easier. I also put the front edge of the cover in first, in other works, the edge that is closer to the radiator, kind of fit it in first, then the cover should lay flat and line up.

Just a silly question, but are the 3 holes in the water pump each 120 degrees from each other? You couldn't have the pump 120 degrees out of rotation could you? I've never tried so I can't say for sure if one could mount it wrong....

[2005Beetle]

I'm not out there working on it right now but it's just this thin piece of metal, like sheet metal, that's behind the water pump and when I rotated it clockwise to get it out, the sheet metal also rotated and now the bolt hole isn't lined up so I can put it back together.

I'll try playing with it today.

[2005Beetle]

I got the water pump in along with that backing plate that gets attached with the upper bolt on the water pump.

Now for the timing belt. I feel I have enough marks on it. I transferred them to my new belt.