Water pump failure? At highway speed?

[GooseChaser]

Just bought this rig a week ago. Checked all the fluids replaced the brakes and took it for a trip into the big city. Headed back doing 70 and without warning coolant is spraying everywhere.

Pull over and take a look and I can't find a hose or hole except for the coolant pooling on the water pump.

I've never seen a catastrophic pump failure before that didn't show up in a weep hole drip

Any tips on a correct or different diagnosis

Thanks!

Chad "waiting for the tow truck" H.

 

[BILT4ME]

Looks to me like the top flange of the top tank is leaking.

 

[Wompom]

Put a pressure tester on it.

 

[whaler]

Need help with slow leaking coolant transfer tube


Your water pump looks ok to me, not the problem.

 

[REKCUT]

Once is cools you can top off and start back up and look for leaks. It was most likely spraying everywhere because of the fan. It also may not start leaking until it gets hot. You gauge won't move till it gets in the 220 range . You'll need to spray it down and get all the coolant off so you can see where it is leaking from.

 

[ppc]

The radiator cap doesn't appear to be OEM Toyota and may have over pressured the top tank.

 

[Tools R Us]

Put a pressure tester on it.

This, fill it and pressure test.

 

[ChaseTruck]

...and without warning coolant is spraying everywhere.
...catastrophic pump failure ...

Seen that, it was the FJ40, on the freeway off-ramp...

Tow truck ride was interesting; from the vantage point offered from the passenger seat, you can really see how many folks are texting while driving in Phoenix freeway traffic. The tow truck driver was like "...yeah, well, some of these are my next customers..."

 

[GooseChaser]

The radiator cap doesn't appear to be OEM Toyota and may have over pressured the top tank.

Oh crap.. I replaced that cap this morning because the old one was leaking. Bought it from O'Reilly Auto Parts thinking how could they screw up a cap.

Is this seriously a oem specific item??

Thanks everyone!!
Chad

 

[REKCUT]

From the info given the cap is a decent bet.

 

[GooseChaser]

From the info given the cap is a decent bet.

Dangit . Are aftermarket caps a known problem that I should have researched? It seems insane to me that buying a replacement cap specced for the fj80 would end up costing me hundreds of dollars. I'm thinking about if I need to approach O'Reillys and expect them to warranty the radiator damage caused by their cap..

Chad

 

[Tools R Us]

Without pressure testing the cap, have no idea if it's at fault. Many, including my rig have run aftermarket caps, long term, without issue. The best way to diagnose the cooling system is a pressure test, the tester is often available from parts store rent/loan programs. Pump the system to ~15psi and see where the fluid is coming out.

 

[ChaseTruck]

It's

Dangit . Are aftermarket caps a known problem that I should have researched? It seems insane to me that buying a replacement cap specced for the fj80 would end up costing me hundreds of dollars. I'm thinking about if I need to approach O'Reillys and expect them to warranty the radiator damage caused by their cap..

Chad

Keep the cap, get a TYC radiator. Change the water pump if needed, get the water pump overdrive pulley, and mod the fan clutch with higher CST fluid while you're at it. Do it now, and you'll probably be smiling at all of this summer's upcoming overheating threads.

P.S. Disclaimer: That's known as the "Chevy fix' - as in 'take off radiator cap, change everything else, and put radiator cap back on'. And let it be known that I like to 'wheel a K5 Blazer. Nevertheless, the above recipe helped with our '93 '80 heat issues, which it developed once it moved from Baton Rouge to Phoenix.

 

[REKCUT]

I agree that pressure testing is a good option, but since you just changed the cap right before the incident then it would be an obvious option. I have seen many aftermarket caps work but i have also seen many aftermarket parts fail and usually at a higher rate than hem.

 

[ppc]

On a healthy radiator the new cap may not have been a problem. Given that you indicated there was an existing leak then I would guess the radiator, a hose or connection was already compromised to some degree.

 

[REKCUT]

He said there was no leak he could see.

 

[ppc]

He said there was no leak he could see.

Post #9 indicates that there was a leak with the old cap. That could have easily been the top tank beginning to fail which looked like it may have been the cap.

 

[BILT4ME]

Buy a Toyota cap.

My son works at O'Reillys and we tried 4 different caps on my OEM Toyota radiator. NONE of them fit worth a hoot.

For the couple bucks difference, buy a Toyota cap and move on.

 

[REKCUT]

Post #9 indicates that there was a leak with the old cap. That could have easily been the top tank beginning to fail which looked like it may have been the cap.

 

[Pirate0187]

@ChaseTruck where did you source the water pump overdrive pulley?