Rich,
As far as the water pump, if you prepare everything in advance, it is not a hard job. Make some studs like these (1" longer bolts with the heads cut off and a slot cut across the top for a screw driver) and you have the advantage of removing the manifold/carbs together and with the help on another person to start the two top bolts you can put it on very easily. PS, they work better in the bottom two inside holes, experience there!
As you can see, they will hold the gasket in place, put any sealant on it just before you are ready to install the manifold. Also, if you put three tiny little drops of super glue on the water O-ring seal, you can attach it to the manifold and just use the studs to guide everything into place. Have the second person reach across the top of the engine from the other side and start the top two bolts. Then you can install the other two bolts, use a flat head screw driver to remove the studs and put in the last two.
Rent a slide hammer to remove the water pump and the brass ring at the bottom if it doesn't come out with the pump. You don't even have to worry about the right hand thread bolt in the top of the pump.
There are two really important things to remember. 1. Clean the mating surfaces of the pump cover and the surface on the block very well. You will have to measure the gap between them before you install the gaskets. You will need the distance to select the proper gasket pac.
2. Remember to turn the pump when you seat it into the to hole in the block so that it will slide into the splines on the jack shaft.
If you have everything clean and laid out properly, the whole process shouldn't take more than a week-end.
PS. Check the left side of the radiator about 2" down the side and see if there is a hole there with a switch sticking out. You can use this switch to run your fans. If the hole is pluged, remove the plug and fit the sensor and o-ring. I am not sure if the locking bracket is still available. check page 61 of VB catalog in the very top of the illustration for the sensor.
