Reprinted with permission of Matt Gruber, editor of Fiero Secrets from 1984-1991, newsletter of the World Wide Fiero Club.
My 86 GT recently developed a leaky water pump. I finally replaced it and I would like to pass on some helpful information to all V6 owners. First & foremost is to read a Haynes (or Helms) manual; it gave me a realistic idea of what to expect. I drained the coolant as suggested in the manual, but I didn’t bother to drain the block, as this wasn’t necessary. The Haynes manual suggests removing the right rear wheel in order to gain access to the front of the block. I did not use this area for access, but I did remove both rear wheels in order to lower the car to a more comfortable work height (I supported the car with blocks of wood and a BIG jack. Don’t bother removing the battery shield and the junction box next to the battery. I did not do either and found that I still had sufficient room to work. Removing the EGR solenoid completely (one bolt, 3 vacuum lines, and one electrical connector) was very helpful. If you look at the drawing in the manual, you can see that there are 3 bolts under the water pump. What the manual does not show is that access to the bolts is severely limited by the water pump pulley. The solution was to remove the pulley after removing the belt, before loosening any of the water pump bolts! Using a large screwdriver (or pry bar), to span between two opposing bolts, you can hold the pulley still to loosen another bolt. It may take some penetrating oil and a few blows with a block of wood (be careful not to bend the pulley) to get it off. The manual only suggests using RTV to seal the pump. I found it difficult to maneuver the pump into place without smearing and removing the RTV and ended up with a nasty leak when I was done! I used a combination of gasket and RTV the second time! Finally, you might as well check the condition of the coolant while it is sitting in the pans; this is a good time as any to replace it! I hope this information helps make someone’s life easier.