water pump failure

widman · Jan 23, 2004

This week I was reminded that water pump failure does not necesarily mean the coolant failed. My brother-in-law (ex-truck owner/driver)took a 700 km bus ride, where the water pump went out. He got out with the driver and immediately showed the driver where the belt was totally stretched and tight. The driver insisted that it should be. He got out a spare pump that he carried because they always fail, put it in and stretched the belt to the max. 20 km later it failed.
Second: I was reading one of the famous NY taxi tests (SAE # 940768) where the average life of water pumps with normal coolant was 63,000 miles, and on extended life coolant it was 90,000 miles.

therion · Jan 24, 2004

heheeheh going on 61,000 miles on my water pump in my van. And thats even after the hose broke off leaving NO COOLANT in the engine for a period of 2 minutes before i noticed the coolant guage go down. Too bad ford doesnt have a coolant buzzer like other cars

Alan · Jan 24, 2004

My BMW manual specs that ther serpentine belt for the alternator and water pump.Too tight they say destroys it!

Does Ford still use plastic vanes in their water pumps?

DavoNF · Jan 24, 2004

quote:

Too bad ford doesnt have a coolant buzzer like other cars.

Ford cars in Australia have a low coolant sensor in the plastic o/flow tank.

I think you can buy them at an auto parts store, easy to install and good insurance against cooking the motor.

Dave

[ January 24, 2004, 05:46 PM: Message edited by: DavoNF ]

widman · Jan 24, 2004

There are plastic vanes on the pump in my little ford courier (1.4 Ztec engine). I only know that because a sales person shifted from 4th to 1st and put holes through both sides of the block.
My 4.0 Ranger is still untouched at 170,000 + km. so I don't know anything about the pump.

jeepzj · Jan 30, 2004

I just had my water pumnp replaced also...the original lasted 72K miles. Question: When adjusting the belt tension, should I run the engine for a while to let the belt "break in" or should I adjust the belt tension "cold"?

Thanks.

MarkC · Jan 30, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by jeepzj:
I just had my water pumnp replaced also...the original lasted 72K miles. Question: When adjusting the belt tension, should I run the engine for a while to let the belt "break in" or should I adjust the belt tension "cold"?

Thanks.

If you don't mind my asking, what kind of pump did you replace it with, and how many arms and legs did the installation cost?
I have 92K on mine, so I may have to replace it sometime this year, although no problems yet.

radiometer · Jan 31, 2004

I just looked at my Maintenance Log on my 87 Mitsubishi Pickup and I see I replaced the water pump at 187,840 miles. It had not completely failed but I noticed the bearings were getting a little loose.

Spector · Jan 31, 2004

Does Ford still use plastic vanes in their water pumps?

Well, I replaced the one in my 96 Zetec engine with a Ford Oem pump with a metal impellar. Too many of the plastic ones were decomposing.

jeepzj · Feb 1, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by MarkC:

quote:

Originally posted by jeepzj:
I just had my water pumnp replaced also...the original lasted 72K miles. Question: When adjusting the belt tension, should I run the engine for a while to let the belt "break in" or should I adjust the belt tension "cold"?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

If you don't mind my asking, what kind of pump did you replace it with, and how many arms and legs did the installation cost?
I have 92K on mine, so I may have to replace it sometime this year, although no problems yet.

I had it replaced by the Jeep dealer under my warranty...$100 deductible. They replaced it with the same OEM PS pump. The original pump started making a constant loud whining noise at 70K miles...I had it replaced at 72K miles. No more noise now.

ekrampitzjr · Feb 2, 2004

When my old 1988 Ford Festiva (= Mazda 121, Kia Pride) finally flat wore out at about 400,000 miles, it still had its original water pump and radiator! No kidding! My secret was in changing the coolant (standard green stuff) every 30,000 miles and using that nasty soluble oil water pump lubricant and anticorrosive additive. The car ran cool and only time it had an overheating problem was when the electric fan failed at roughly 275,000 miles. Despite the other problems the car had as it aged, the interior of the radiator visible after removing the cap still looked shiny, not rusty, after all those miles.

Once when the timing belt was being changed at about 200,000 miles, I actually bought a new water pump and gave the shop, whose mechanics I trusted, instructions to change it if necessary. They reported that the old pump was still tight, so I happily returned the new one and got my money back.

My 1997 Escort has nearly 240,000 miles. At roughly 110,000 miles, while getting the timing belt changed in the process of getting the front main seal replaced, the mechanic noticed that the old pump had just a little slop in it and replaced it. Instead of the soluble oil additive, which is hard to find now, I was using the more common additive that turns into a gel over time, unfortunately. I have heard that that type of additive hurts water pumps more than helps. That stuff has long been flushed out, and I use Red Line Water Wetter instead, still with 30K coolant changes. Sometime in the next 2-3 weeks I'll change the water pump again as a precaution when I change the timing belt myself. But for now the car still is on only its second water pump.

jeepzj · Feb 2, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by jeepzj:
I just had my water pumnp replaced also...the original lasted 72K miles. Question: When adjusting the belt tension, should I run the engine for a while to let the belt "break in" or should I adjust the belt tension "cold"?

Thanks.

Let me re-phrase. I notice that when the engine is cold (in the morning after sitting overnight) the belt seems tighter compared to if the engine has been running for a while (back from a 10-15 minute drive). Is this because the belt stretches or is it because the belt heats up a bit after running?

Thanks.

Thanks.

DavoNF · Feb 3, 2004

ek(etc),

Bar's Leaks liquid still contains that oil. I also use it, does not seem to do any harm.

Dave

cryptokid · Feb 4, 2004

i was under the impression that all waterpumps have preminantly sealed bearings. so how is it that a additive that is a pump lubricant can work?

XS650 · Feb 4, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by jeepzj:
Let me re-phrase. I notice that when the engine is cold (in the morning after sitting overnight) the belt seems tighter compared to if the engine has been running for a while (back from a 10-15 minute drive). Is this because the belt stretches or is it because the belt heats up a bit after running?

Thanks.

Warning, a bit of overkill coming:

Lacking specific shop manual directions. Adjust the belt when you first install it, then adjust it again after a few hundred miles while the belt is at operating temperature. That's unecessary overkill, but it can't hurt and does give you a litle bit better adjustment. I don't think you will even see that suggestion in belt manufacturers design manuals, but I picked it up from a Gates engineer.

Unless you are using a gauge to measue belt tension, you may not notice a difference.

Don't overtighten the belt, there is a natural tendency for most of us to do that and it's rough on bearings and the belt.

XS650 · Feb 4, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by cryptokid:
i was under the impression that all waterpumps have preminantly sealed bearings. so how is it that a additive that is a pump lubricant can work?

I don't see what it can do other than lube the seals. If it gets into the bearings that means there is coolant in the bearings and the pump needs to be replaced anyway.

Back in the olden daze, some cars had greased bushing water pumps and water pump lube might have made them a bit more tolerant of a leaking seal, but they were still toast after much coolant got into the bushing.

water pump failure

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