Water pump replacement 97 Dodge Neon

[Mustang65HiPo]

I gut a surprise visit from my Aunt yesterday. I opened the door and the first thing she said was, "I need a water pump." It seems her car was over heating. She pulled in to a gas station and the lead mechanic told her the water pump is leaking just as fast as the water goes in. I thought this would be an easy swap, but a friend told me that he thinks the water pump is driven by the timing belt on that engine. If this is the case, I think it is to much for me to do and I'm not able to get anyone to help me. I think paying someone to do such a large job on a 15 year old car would be more then the car is worth. Does anyone know if in fact the pump is driven ty the timing belt on the 2L dodge neon? What is involved in replacing the water pump?

Any help is appreciated.

[thcardoc]

Yes. The water pump is driven by the timing belt. You will need a puller for the crankshaft pulley. Plan to replace the timing belt and the tensioner at the same time. You cannot judge what a repair will cost against the cars value quite so easily. Instead look at what it would cost to replace the car as compared to what it would cost to fix your aunts.