water pump installation

Well, your life just got more complicated. That 'plate' is the front cover of the engine and contains the front main seal.of the crankshaft and the front oil pan seal as well as being the bachkside of the water pump. To remove the plate, all the vee belts must be removed, and the harmonic balencer must come off (using a special balencer removal tool). You'll have to unloosen the oil pan bolts, too. Unless your Pantera has been modified, the pan cannot be removed so don't attempt to pull it, just loosen the bolts. Once the front plate is off, it'll expose the front of the oil pan, cam and chain, so I'd take the opportunity to check the cam chain for looseness. Clevelands are VERY hard on cam chains due to the weight of the huge valves and the ability of this engine to rev. If there's 'much' slack, replace it; I recommend a roller cam chain with its two new sprockets, set for 4 degrees advanced. I'd also suggest replacing both the front main seal and the front oil pan seal, both of which mount in that plate. This should prevent leaks after reassembly. If this all sounds like more than you want to tackle, the job can be farmed out. If you live in an area where theres a Pantera specialty shop, now is the time to get familiar with them, as bad things can happen if the shop you choose is unfamiliar with Fords generally and Panteras specifically.Such chores are routinely done as Pantera club tech sessions- what is your area?