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[This is a timely article in that many of the later Spiders will soon need replacement water pumps and that these cars are harder to work on than earlier Spiders — Wes Ingram).]
The manual states the obvious, e.g., remove the belts, get the power steering pump out of the way, remove the nine nuts and three hoses, and remove the old pump. The manual does not mention two key problems, however.
1) The Timing Indicator Pin is behind the Motronic crankshaft sensing gear fixed to the damper.
2) The serpentine belt idler pulley bracket surrounds the inlet to the water pump.
So you must now remove the damper, (which involves removing the radiator) and the idler bracket (which involves removing the air conditioning pump)
— OR —
A special tool that will greatly help with 1) is a 3-inch diameter cut-off wheel and mandrel fitted to a drill motor. Use this tool to remove (cut) the timing reference pin from the water pump. This tool will also be used to refit the new pump, with an offset reference pin.
With the reference pin out of the way you now discover that the pump cannot be removed because the stud (at 7 o’clock) prevents the pump removal. Remove this stud preferrably by “double-nutting” it or by using vise grips. If you destroy the stud in the process of removing it, replace the stud with a 6 x 25 mm hex bolt with two washers and threads coated in non-hardening gasket cement like Hylomar.
To build an offset(Z-shaped) timing pin use 1/8" - 5/32" brass rod. Sand a point on one end, bend 90 degrees at 1" and again in 3/8". Cut 3/8" after the last bend. To install the pin in the new pump (Note: you might want to practice on the old pump):
1) Drive existing pin from housing using drift pin being careful to support the pump casting. Drive the pin into the gap between vise jaws or between suitable blocks.
2) Draw a reference line from the center of the crankshaft past the reference pin hole to the edge of the pin boss. (Or from the pin hole to the right of the stud used for alternator bracket mounting, which is very close to the same line).
3) Using the cut-off wheel, carefully cut a slot that extends from the pin hole to the upper edge of the pin boss along the reference line drawn in step 2). This slot should be just deep and wide enough to allow the offset pin to be installed into the boss flush with the surface.
4). A sharp center punch can be used to stake the offset pin in place. High temp glue will enhance the pins retention.
Install the pump (connect the radiator hose before bolting the pump to the engine to save some grief later.)
Note on the alternate pin — since there is clearance between the pin boss and the block, an optional method of offset pin installation is to place a shallow slot on the backside of the boss and notch the top of the boss slightly. This method offers better pin retention (the block prevents the pin from falling out) and location (the notch on top keeps the pin from moving).