WATER PUMP- What Gives?

dogboy2 · 11-26-05, 01:53 PM

Here's the rundown:
1) new OEM water pump in 2002
2) has 12,000 miles on it since install (truck doesn't get out much)
3) entire cooling system rebuilt with new parts over course of past 3 years (every hose, ratchet strap, thermostat, etc..., even new radiator)

Out fishing the other day when the H20 pump starts squealing and spewing coolant out from the bottom of the housing (?weep hole?). Drop all of my coolant and have to be towed home.

Never had an OEM Toyota part fail that quickly (few miles). Am I missing something that could be contributing to it's premature failure or did I just get a bum part to begin with?

Scratching my head here in disappointment,
-dogboy- '87 FJ60

60wag · 11-26-05, 03:57 PM

Belt too tight?

Tinker · 11-26-05, 05:34 PM

But it's not expensive to fix. 60Wag has a point, but I don't know how to tell except if the FSM shows how much deflection there should be. Some other cars' FSMs talk about a strain gauge (fish scale) to determine proper tension.

2mbb · 11-26-05, 05:57 PM

Regarding belt tension, the FSM gives tension specs and shows a tool to use. I looked on ebay for a while for the OEM style tool, but then realized that I would actually need two tools to cover the tension range for all three belts. I ended up purchasing krikit belt tension tools from Napa Online, I think.

I had always heard that you can check tension by pushing down on the portion of belt that is centered between two pulleys. If the tension is correct you should be able to deflect the belt between 1/2 and 3/4 inch. When I checked this method with the Krikit, it was too tight.

ajfriz · 11-26-05, 10:24 PM

i have had this happen to me as well but it was on a sbc in my 40. i figured it was just a bad casting (i know gm stuff is always the best quality so it threw me off too). i would pull it off and inspect the pump housing to make sure that it wasn't a problem with the casting.

Pluton · 11-27-05, 10:34 AM

Last year I bought an OEM H2O pump for my 60 as a carry along spare, and was disappointed to see on the box that it was"Made in Japan, Assembled in Mexico." I guess if too much belt tension killed yours that would be a good thing in the sense that the quality of the parts hasn't declined, just operator error. Or, maybe you just got the one bad one in 10,000. I like the idea of that belt tension gauge.

euclid · 11-27-05, 12:45 PM

Just a few weeks ago I had a brand new OEM water pump start making noise on me. Called the dealer and told them, they gave me a new one on warranty. A buddy on the 3FE list had a similar experience. Seems like they may have had a bad production run or something.

dogboy2 · 11-27-05, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 60wag

Belt too tight?

That could be a distinct possibility as I do not own a belt tensioning tool and have had to rely on the deflection with a straight-edge and ruler method.

Apart from the Napa tool described above, anyone else have a good recommendation for belt tensioner? I've searched online for the FSM recommended Nippondenso or Borroughs to no avail.

-db-

2mbb · 11-27-05, 04:05 PM

I think you can still get the Nippondenso from the Toyota SST provider. The part number seems to have changed to 00095-00010. You'll have to call them to get a price.

OTC makes a universal tool (search "6673") that seems similar to the Burroughs unit (~$150 new). The Burroughs units come up from time to time on Ebay.

From the picture in the OEM Maintenance Procedures manual, I got the impression you would need both--the manual shows the Nippondenso being used on a plain belt, and the Burroughs being used on a notched (ribbed) belt. But maybe I'm reading too much into the picture

The Krikits from Napa are less than $15 apiece. I got both the Krikit I (50-150lbs) and Krikit II (100-300lbs).