Okay, so I have mustered up the nerve to to replace the water pump myself on my 81 22r 4x4. I ordered a waterpump online and now I am just waiting for it to arrive. Since this will probably be the closest to major maintenance I have ever done I have a few questions I am hoping you all can help me with.

First off, It appears the water pump I ordered will not be coming with a replacement gasket. Is it okay to use the old one? If not, does anyone know where I can order one through the internet?

Secondly, are there any tips for when I drain the radiator? The drain plug seems to be in a difficult spot and I don't really want coolant all over my garage floor.

Finally, I'd appreciate any input from people that have done this before on any model yota. I figure the more knowledge I have the better.

Thanks in advance!

 

I would never re-use an old gasket, when draining the radiator make sure you have a 5 gallon bucket. If you want you can drain it by removing the lower hose, I'd leave the radiator cap on until I removed the hose. Once it's draining nicely then open the cap up. also when replacing the water pump you might want to install a new thermostat if it hasn't been done in a long time.