Jeep Cherokee XJ 4.0L water pump: symptoms, replacement and torque

The 4.0L XJ’s serpentine belt drives the water pump with the back (smooth side) of the belt. That makes the pump spin counterclockwise, so it needs a reverse-rotation pump. The impeller is stamped R, and the viscous fan drive is marked REVERSE.^[4][6][7][9]

If a standard-rotation pump goes in, or the belt is routed wrong, the impeller turns backward and the engine overheats.^[4][6][7][9] Check the R before you bolt the new pump on.

For overheating with no visible leak, start with our overheating guide.

• A new reverse-rotation pump and gasket, and fresh coolant. Our fluid capacities page has the amount.
• Unverified The fan and viscous drive bolt to the pump pulley on some trucks, and to a separate hub and bearing bracket on others. Check yours before you buy parts. (factory manual only) ^[1][3][4]

1. Drain the cooling system.^[1][4][8]
2. Loosen the pulley bolts (or fan nuts) first, while the belt is still tight enough to hold the pulley still. Then remove the serpentine belt.^[1][4][8]
3. Remove the fan and viscous drive, the fan shroud and the pump pulley.^[1][4][8]
4. Unbolt the power steering pump and bracket where they’re in the way, and set them aside without opening the lines. Disconnect the hoses at the pump.^[1][4][8]
5. Remove the 4 pump bolts. One is longer than the others, so note which hole it came from.^[1][4][8]

1. Confirm the new pump has the R on the impeller.^[4][6][7][9]
2. Unverified Move the heater hose fitting across to the new pump, using Teflon thread sealant on the threads. (factory manual only) ^[4][6]
3. Unverified Fit the new gasket dry, with its silicone bead facing the pump. (factory manual only) ^[2][3][4][6]
4. Fit the bolts (long one in its original hole) and torque them:
   • 1993–95: 22 ft-lb (30 N·m)^[1][2][7]
   • Unverified 1999–2001: 17 ft-lb (23 N·m) per the factory manuals (factory 17 ft-lb; one other source gives 17–23 ft-lb) ^{[3][4][5][6][10]}
   • 1996–98: we haven’t checked a factory manual for these years.
5. Refit the hoses, power steering bracket, pulley, fan and shroud. Unverified Pulley bolts and fan nuts are 20 ft-lb (27 N·m); shroud bolts are 31 in-lb (4 N·m). (factory manual only)^[4]
6. Route the belt exactly as the underhood label shows. A wrongly routed belt spins the pump backward.^[4][6][9]
7. Refill and bleed the system the factory way; see refill and bleed in our overheating guide. Unverified Some guides also remove the coolant temperature sensor during refill to let trapped air escape. (two non-factory sources; no factory text)^[7][9]
8. Run the engine to operating temperature and check for leaks.

We haven’t found sources we’d trust for labor hours or parts prices, so we don’t give figures here.