Enough of the bickering.
As for the engine series, the Cyclone engines are actually quite impressive. Smooth, quiet and reasonably powerful. The n/a versions have proven to be very low-wearing and clean running. I've owned two of them in identical Taurus cars, and was very impressed overall with the drivetrain performance.
While some folks would say it's "stoooopid" to put the pump internally, it was a packaging issue. There was no way to make a crank driven external pump work. Ford isn't the only company to make an internal water pump engine; they're just the most recent example, and therefore draw the ire of BITOGers.
Anyone who understands the engine series knows the transverse applications make for a VERY difficult water pump replacement. It's time consuming, and therefore costly (labor rates). The parts themselves (pump, idler, chain are typically done at the same time) aren't grossly offensive in prices.
In n/s (longitudinal) applications the n/a versions are as reliable as granite; the pump is external and much easier to change.
Part of the problem is that once that pump starts to go, it can escalate quickly. Often it can happen faster than then occasional UOA would detect. So it's imperative that you check the coolant level frequently, as well as the oil appearance on the dipstick and under the filler cap for signs of excess condensation. If the pump leaks externally, it's a problem. If it leaks internally, it's impending doom! Either way, it's a mandatory replacement, obviously.
The later models of these engines use a double-roller chain type drive; that supposedly makes for a slightly longer lifespan of the pump (I'm not assured this is true; but that's the claim). Failures can happen at any time. Some have failed as early as 75k miles. Oddly, others are fine out to 250k miles. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the life-span.
I have heard people say that frequent coolant changes help extend the life of the pump. I see no data to prove this; it's only theory.
And IMO, it's a bad theory. The coolant pumps typically fail because of bearing failure (as do most pumps). That in turn leads to a shaft going into an eccentric wobble, and then destroying the shaft seal. Then it's leak city ... So in "normal" operation, the coolant stays on one side of the seal, and the oil on the other. The oil is what lubricates the pump shaft bearing, not the coolant. So why would frequent coolant changes have any effect on the pump bearing life-span????????? The coolant change theory is flawed IMO, but it's a pervasive one, the lack of logic notwithstanding.
