308 water pump replacement

I'm in the middle of the job and I'll post pics once I'm done, but I have a question. The new pump I bought did not come with a pulley, which means I have to reuse the old one. No big deal. The old impeller has a nut which allows me to hold the shaft while I remove the main pulley. However the new pump does not have a nut on the impeller - there's no way to hold the shaft while torquing the pulley nut. I have been told to mount the pulley hand tight, and then install the pump on the car. With the belt tensioned and the car in gear with the brakes on, then I can torque the nut. Sounds like a very Italian solution. Is that the procedure others have used?

Also the new pump has a woodruff key on the shaft, that really does not fit the slot. I haven't looked at it too closely yet, but it sure seemed like an interference fit. Felt odd.

At any rate, I've done water pumps on a bunch of cars and I have to say this is by far the EASIEST water pump job I've ever done. Super easy access, pump comes right out with no trouble. I'm glad the later cars have those recesses in the cam covers, makes this really straightforward. I replaced the pump on the ZR-1 a few months ago and it was a nightmare, just about the most difficult job I've ever done on a car. Looking back, I should have just dismantled the whole front end.

 

Thanks Iain, sorry I had to go out of town on a business trip and didn't have time to get back to the job or post much. I finished the job this afternoon and it wasn't too bad. I ended up using your technique to torque the pulley nut. I installed the pump on the car, wrapped a strap wrench around the pulley, and then used my torque wrench to get it tight. Took a lot of effort, but I got that satisfying click.

All in all, one of the easiest water pump jobs I've done. Access is just ridiculously easy. The hardest part was torquing the pulley nut. The rest of it was straightforward, although it does take an impact driver to get the nut off the old pump, and then a puller to get the pulley off. The woodruff key went into the new pump just fine with a little pressure, and then reassemble.

I drove my car again today! Damn I missed that.

 

Couple quick pics. Goodies arrived from Ricambi, just how easy it is to jack a 308 and the proper placement of GOOD jackstands, and the ridiculously easy access to the water pump. I love this car!
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FWIW I had the infamous "snapping" sound when the car was cold, confirmed to be the alternator belt when it takes a set after a long time. I replaced the accessory belts during this job, and no more snap. Really just about the most straightforward job I've done on any car. Why the hell I put it off so long, I have no idea.

 

The impeller was definitely different from the stock pump, still with straight vanes but black, no lock nut, and I believe it was metal. I didn't look at it too closely.

BTW I was speaking with Ron Reineke about water pumps and he said the most common way these fail is because we don't drive the cars! Sitting causes the seals to dry out, allowing coolant to get to the bearings, dead pump. My old pump had stains around the weep hole which seems to confirm his diagnosis. I hereby promise to drive it a lot more.