I have this person at work with a 99 passaat.  leaks water.  so they  figure its a water pump.  Mech quote was 1000 bills,  so they want to sell it cheap.  Maybe  I score it for 500.  is the timing cover stuff a PITA  or is it EZ SQUEEZY.  SC

The water pump is about the only thing I haven't replaced on my 96 Passat.  The timing belt, idler and all the seals were not "that" bad.  The biggest problem I had was the car spent it's first 10 years in New Jersey and everything metal that had to come off was practically welded together with corrosion.  I should have replaced the water pump while I had it all apart, but I didn't . . . 

I don't know how different the 99 would be, but if it's like my 96, it's "do-able" IF you have small enough hands, plenty of time and a LOT of patients.  By the way, my 96 has the 2.0 ABA engine.  If it had the turbo or VR6 engine, I would guess it would have been a lot tougher.

The 99 you can put in service position, take the front bumper off and move the radiator forward to gain better access to the front of the engine

What the heck is "service position" ? Maybe it means the "hook" dangles the car right over the car crusher. I'm surprised you don't have to take the rear deck lid, rear axle, the doors off. Just one more reason I retired from working on those #%^&*^%$# things.

Step one for anything engine related on a B5 Platform Passat... "Place lock carrier into service position".... Kinda like an air-cooled beetle.... "Remove engine from vehicle".... 

Lock carrier ?  What the crap is that ?  Is the Service position what you have after you start hanging around on Main St. after dark ?? 

Lock Carrier... VW lingo for the thing that holds the hood latch (or, as the rest of the world refers to it, the radiator core support)....

 

Does this mean you take the car off the engine ?

It is easy when you know how, i have heard off poeple getting it out with out the service position but that would be a pain

I have this person at work with a 99 passaat.  leaks water.  so they  figure its a water pump.  Mech quote was 1000 bills,  so they want to sell it cheap.  Maybe  I score it for 500.  is the timing cover stuff a PITA  or is it EZ SQUEEZY.  SC

Thats all you need.  Why don't you just take the pump off the Lady Kenmore washer in the back yard and make some kind of mount . That and a couple of sheet metal screws and a belt off the Hoover you should be all set. What do you think

After reading your replies.  I am Phych'ed  to have this passat.  The soon to be PO did not make work Friday,  So I have to wait till Monday to do my "Purchasing Dance"

In my youth,  I had a datsun or ford and the water pump was leaking thru the little hole between the water pump bearings.  I rammed a metal screw in the seepage hole to stop the leak.   Pretty smart way to wring a water pump to the very last pump.  SC