Water pump replacement for preventative maintenance? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Jan 9, 2011
Threads
43
Messages
1,019
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
Looking for advice:

My radiator sprung a leak, so will be replaced on warranty.

Should I replace the water pump while they're in there? Or, is this an "ain't broke don't fix it" situation for a part that rarely fails?

The pump is original, so nearly 30 yrs and a quarter million miles old, so I'm leaning towards replacement as preventative maintenance.

Thanks in advance for experience and advice.
 
Normally regarding radiator replacement, I'd say no to WP if it isn't leaking or noisy. But if it's original, probably not a bad idea. Honestly with as much work as it is to get to a 3FE pump (assuming this is what you have), I'd add a few things to the list: thermostat & gaskets, all the hoses that connect to the water pump (especially the short/fat one under the A/C comp) & thermostat housing, and front crank seal. I've done all this in the last year on my 89, and in hindsight wish I had done it all in one shot rather than pulling the radiator 3 times.
 
Last edited:
Normally regarding radiator replacement, I'd say no to WP if it isn't leaking or noisy. But if it's original, probably not a bad idea. Honestly with as much work as it is to get to a 3FE pump (assuming this is what you have), I'd add a few things to the list: themostat & gaskets, all the hoses that connect to the water pump (especially the short/fat one under the A/C pump) & thermostat housing, and front crank seal. I've done all this in the last year on my 89, and in hindsight wish I had done it all in one shot rather than pulling the radiator 3 times.

Thanks. I've done thermostat and gasket but had not considered some of the other items on your list.
 
I replaced the original on my 95 last summer. Had the radiator out while I was waiting on parts, tried to spin the pump and it was seized. It was making no noise and was not leaking prior. Either I got lucky or the belts had been breaking it loose on startup for a while. I have it hanging on my wall now, it is completely seized.
 
Is Aisin the OEM supplier?

Huge price difference between OEM and Aisin from RockAuto.
 
I replaced the original on my 95 last summer. Had the radiator out while I was waiting on parts, tried to spin the pump and it was seized. It was making no noise and was not leaking prior. Either I got lucky or the belts had been breaking it loose on startup for a while. I have it hanging on my wall now, it is completely seized.

Interesting. Now for a dumb question: Can the engine circulate coolant if the water pump is seized? I assume not, but this suggests it can.
 
Interesting. Now for a dumb question: Can the engine circulate coolant if the water pump is seized? I assume not, but this suggests it can.

Definitely not. My guess is that my pump was very close to failing, but it showed no signs or symptoms of failing. I even listened to it with a mechanics stethoscope and didn't hear any bearing noise.

If you still have quite a bit of original cooling system parts (like my truck did) I would say go ahead and change everything while it's apart.
 
Definitely not. My guess is that my pump was very close to failing, but it showed no signs or symptoms of failing. I even listened to it with a mechanics stethoscope and didn't hear any bearing noise.

If you still have quite a bit of original cooling system parts (like my truck did) I would say go ahead and change everything while it's apart.

Thanks. Yes, mine is being replaced since the radiator is coming off. I'll stowe the original on board as a spare for Baja trips.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom