Many good water pump replacement videos out there. I watched them all and not one tutorial mentioned what happened to me and many others per Google. Lots of suggested fixes but no one confirmed how they were able to get it done afterwards.
This DIY requires you to support the engine with a jack, then remove the exhaust bracket, the exhaust bracket bracket (?) and then loosen the engine carrier nuts in order to slide the carrier rearward about 1/4 inch which is enough to get the WP out.
This is the area I and others have had an issue:
All went well new WP and thermostat installed. On reassembly the alignment bolt for the carrier bracket would not thread:
Not only was the threaded port too low, but also off center right. So raising the engine with the jack would raise the threads up but they were still off center.
No amount of loosening or tightening the carrier nuts, or lifting or lowering the engine with jack or tapping the carrier around would align the holes enough to start the “carrier alignment bolt” such that I could hand start it. After another 3 hours I loosened the engine mount nuts (18mm). No help. Frustrated, gave up for the day.
Next morning back at it finally figured out the fix. Super easy but I never saw anyone mention it so for anyone searching in the future here goes.
It was my thought that the jack is used to support or raise the engine as needed. You must use the jack to raise the engine, but moving the jack around the oil sump will also move the motor left /right. If I move the jack (with 2x4) left on the sump it would pull the engine left or move it right it would pull engine right. Thus you can raise/lower or left/right the threads until it all lines up:
Knowing this would have saved me many hours of frustration. There is even a thread online that shows a car where the PO had left this bolt out because he could not get things lined up.
WP and thermostat not a hard job. If your have alignment bolt issues now you know the fix!