What does a bad water pump sound like?

pok61 · 10-04-05, 05:19 PM

Got a 88 FJ62 and thought my belts were going with a loud squeal/growl.

Last night the temp shot up but the belts were fine and not broken or slipping from what I could see. Reved the engine and the temp went back down.

This morning the temp went up again without any noise.

So the question is what does the water pump sound like when it starts to go?

Also what are parts cost for the job. Water pump, belts, hoses, etc....

Thanks for the help in advance.

PW

sisukid1975 · 10-04-05, 05:24 PM

if a bearing goes, it can squeal. But a kind of Whirring noise is also common. I'm thinking the growl you desribe might be what I call a whir.

I don't know cost, sorry.

Fred

pok61 · 10-04-05, 06:13 PM

Sounds like it might be it.

Thanks Fred.

Louisg · 10-04-05, 06:21 PM

When the water pump bearing starts to go you hear that intermitent noise coming from it. You will also see a little water seeping from a weep hole at the bottom of the pump. It never amounts to much because the heat evaporates it fast.
I got a newa pump from Autozone for $87. last year. It turned out the water pump was loosely bolted to the bloc so I did not use the new pump. It is still sitting on a shelf in the garage, waiting for its big day.
The replacement job is easy if you cut the rad shroud, as the archives on the re 3fe list show you.

hullendersauce · 10-04-05, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louisg

I got a newa pump from Autozone for $87. last year.

IMHO, i would buy OEM.

Mace · 10-04-05, 07:17 PM

I have a napa pump on my 40 for 8 years. No problem...

YODA 88 62 · 10-04-05, 09:33 PM

check for play in the bearing by moving the fan back and forth. my waterpump went out due to a locked up fan clutch and age. check to see how freely the clutch moves. it should not take much to move it. when mine went out, i had just pulled off the highway into work and could hear my fan bouncing around.
while you have it apart go ahead and replace all the belts. cut the shroud for much easier future fixes. check and possibly replace all the hoses that are accessible when changing the water pump.

if both the pump and clutch are bad, buy both the fan clutch and water pump together to get it for less $.

lovetoski · 10-04-05, 09:40 PM

As far as I know, a failing water pump doesn't make any noise. It will seep though from the "weep hole" under the pump. You'll notice a puddle of coolant after you stop the truck (wait five minutes). Go to the store to buy beer, come back out, look underneath - if there's a puddle of coolant, your pump is shot.

The symptom you reference (temp guage spikes) could be because of a faulty waterpump, or because of a known ground fault in the guage. If both the temp and fuel guage spike up at the same time, you have a ground failure. If only the temp guage spikes up, you have a temp problem.

Gotta love cruisers!

Fast Eddie · 10-04-05, 10:42 PM

How do you go about fixing this ground failure. My 90 fj62 fule and temp gauges spike a few times a year I pull over, turn off the engine, then start it right back up and back to normal every time so far. I would love to know how to really fix the problem ie(ground failure)

FJ60-Hokie · 10-05-05, 12:52 PM

lovetoski

I am having the puddling issue, but I just had a repair shop put on a new OEM (so they say) water pump. It also looks like the coolant is splashing around the upper part of the front of the engine. Around the Thermostat casing along with puddling. I think I am going to replace the gasket for that and see how it goes.

I am hoping that the 1k I spent in ingnorance last year on a new water pump (among other things) doesn't already have to be in vien. I have read that non-OEM pumps are not so quality and may go out that quickly.

stinkyfj60 · 10-05-05, 12:57 PM

When mine went recently on my 60 it was kind of a grinding noise. You could see the fan wobbling

All this OEM stuff though? Dont know. The one on my 60 was a Checker one (I hate Checker) that the PO put on. It lasted about 7 or 8yrs. I replaced it with one from CarQuest that was new, not reman...

cruiser_guy · 10-05-05, 03:20 PM

The best way to check is take the tension off the water pump belt and then see if there is play in the bearing. I've had a water pump so bad that the fan could move 1/2" or more but any detectable movement is not good. They can be really quiet when they go but they can also be really loud. They can leak like crazy of they can be completely dry. The big thing to check is play in the bearing.

pok61 · 10-05-05, 04:09 PM

Please bear with my ignorance.

How do I test for a bad bearing?

Thanks cruiser_guy!

cruiser_guy · 10-05-05, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pok61

Please bear with my ignorance.

How do I test for a bad bearing?

Thanks cruiser_guy!

Get a hold of the fan, assuming it's on the front of the water pump (I'm familar with the 3B more than the 2F but the principle is the same) and see if it moves front to back. If it does you will need to ensure it's not the fan clutch (watch the actual flange on the water pump). If the flange moves, replace the pump. If the flange doesn't move but the fan does, the fan clutch is bad and needs replacing (probably worth buying the fan clutch and water pump together anyways).

pok61 · 10-06-05, 12:10 PM

Thank you for your help.

pat

lovetoski · 10-06-05, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FJ60-Hokie

lovetoski

I am having the puddling issue, but I just had a repair shop put on a new OEM (so they say) water pump. It also looks like the coolant is splashing around the upper part of the front of the engine. Around the Thermostat casing along with puddling. I think I am going to replace the gasket for that and see how it goes.

I am hoping that the 1k I spent in ingnorance last year on a new water pump (among other things) doesn't already have to be in vien. I have read that non-OEM pumps are not so quality and may go out that quickly.

If it's a new OEM pump, it'll last a long time, so that should be some consolation. A one-year old OEM pump shouldn't leak, but gaskets could leak, as could hoses. Hose clamps could also not be tight enough.

One way to really get a good look at where the leak is coming from is to remove the fan shroud, fan, and fan clutch. Leave the pump and belt in place. Fire up the truck and watch. As it heats up, the thermostat will open, and coolant will flow through the pump. Because you've moved a bunch of crap out of the way, you should be able to see clearly where the leak is.

Depending on how gunked up your engine is around the waterpump, you might clean that area off before starting the truck.

Spook50 · 10-07-05, 01:49 AM

When mine went bad I got a *CLUNK, REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE* as the shaft and pulley seized and the belt spun over a stuck pulley

Oh yeah, this was exactly halfway between my base and my parents' place (which are 300 miles apart). Booya, my friend. Booya.

cruiser_guy · 10-07-05, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spook50

When mine went bad I got a *CLUNK, REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE* as the shaft and pulley seized and the belt spun over a stuck pulley

Oh yeah, this was exactly halfway between my base and my parents' place (which are 300 miles apart). Booya, my friend. Booya.

This kinda reinforces what I was saying earlier, all water pumps, even the same kind, don't fail in the same way, but if there is a bearing problem then they are bad.

Spook50 · 10-07-05, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiser_guy

This kinda reinforces what I was saying earlier, all water pumps, even the same kind, don't fail in the same way, but if there is a bearing problem then they are bad.

I figure on mine the bearings finally just gave out. It was the factory pump and it was at 208K miles

FJ60-Hokie · 10-07-05, 02:43 PM

Thanks Ski