How easy is it to change the water pump in a 2000 SL2?

verify fuel pressure 40 to 55 psi. can rent gauge from parts store or purchase inexpensive one--has valve on fuel injector rail--to replace must r&r fuel tank--recommend ac delco unit & new filter

Here is that info.
Have a full set of Torx sockets inaddition to the normal ones.

Support the engine.
Remove the air filter box.
Remove the front engine mount.
Pick an order here for the belt and pullies.

What ever will work for you. This is because the serpentine belt will llikely not stop the pullies from spinning. A flat pry bar through two of the bolts on the water and PS pullies while you loosen the third works better. Be careful as the bolt heads round easily.

Remove the water pump pulley.
Remove the power steering pulley.
Remove the serpentine belt.
Remove the lower crank pulley. Outer bolts not the center one
Remove the belt tensioner.
Remove the timing belt covers.
Put a coolant catch pan under the front of the engine.
Remove the water pump.
Clean the sealing surfaces. install the new pump anbd reinsatll the removed parts.
Fill the cooling system and hope that the heater core did not drain. The heater core tends to air lock if it is drained of coolant. This is why the coolant is best drained by removing the water pump and not draining the rad and the entire system.
Run the engine until you have good heat in the car with out having to rev the engine.
Check and top the coolant level as needed

duplicate question

a car this old and running out of gas has probably finished the pump off and will need to be replaced.change the filter at the same time.

i would remove thermostat first to see what happens ,if it still over heats is your warer pump

it is underneath the timing chain cover, while you are in there it makes sense to put all new stuff unless someone else already changed the chain, tensioner and guides. you can buy a repair manual on ebay for a few bucks or search on youtube for a video. not an easy job.

its probably the water pump pretty simple to change locate the large smooth pulley on top of the serp belt take out the 4 bolts take off the serp belt remove the smooth pulley the water pump is under the smooth pulley take out the 5 bolts on the water pump and the water pump will come out on the new water pump the gasket will only go on one way make sure you turn it the right way so the holes line up use a little gasket sealer to hold in the right place replace with new pump on the tension pulley there is a 3/8 square hole that you can put a long handled socket or breaker bar in to loosen the tension on the on serp belt so you can streatch the belt back over the pulleys i only wish the thermostat was as easy to change.

you may not have removed all the bolts recheck your work pump should come out easy once loosened up ..they due still alittle so put allitte pressure on it ..if all bolts are removed

Get a service manual, you are going to need to pull the serpentine belt and take off the cam chain cover.

first determine if the car is actualy getting hot.dont trust the gauge or fan for these are controled by a temp sensor, if the sensor went bad it will tell you its hot. the other thing it might be is a air bubble trapped in the system