I am about to order the new pump but I am wondering whether to order the pump with or without the drive pulley.

Is it worth the $100 to order with pulley.

I have never removed a pulley from a water pump shaft and I would have to get a puller (Auto Zone loan a tool)

Are there any issues with reusing the stock pulley?

The pump is listed as 100% factory replacement, so your old pulley should fit

Oh and see question 4 in link below
http://www.hardin-marine.com/p-15774...d-502-mag.aspx

I understand that a gm puller installer will do the job (auto zone loan a tool), but what I was wanting to know is has anyone experienced problems using the factory pulley.

I do not want to get it apart and have a problem and have to order the pulley. Not much time left in the season.

Only problem I see is belt alignment if you don't get the pulley seated back on the shaft properly. Or you somehow dork the pulley up removing it.

We install them all the time with the factory pulley. You just have to watch that your pulley remover shaft is smaller than the pump shaft itself (gen 7 pumps had a thinner shaft). We have 2 different pullers and both are about .030 fatter than the gen 7 shafts so we install a bolt into the shaft threads and apply the pressure to the bolt head instead of the shaft itself.

Thanks for the info Brian. I ordered the pump without the pulley so this will be a very useful tip.

How did the installation go, I ordered my pump today and I am curious.

I have my pump but haven't made time to put it on yet . I will let you know.

Finally got around to installing my pump. Auto zone rent a tool power steering pump puller/installer worked like a charm.
I found the Hardin pump pulley shaft to be about 1/8" longer.
I measured from back of pump bracket to the back of the pulley when all still assembled (shaft was even with front of pulley)
When I installed the pulley on the Hardin pump, with the shaft flush with the pulley, it still needed to go back another 1/8"
I had to use a large washer that fit over the shaft to push it back more because the installer would only push it back flush.
Worst part of job was getting the belt back on, not much room at front of motor on a 27' Fountain.

the trick to installing the belt for 496's is you tie wrap the belt at a starting point pulley and again x amount distance to another pulley - then once its routed correctly and completely on all pulleys cut the tie wraps. I do understand about the access though.