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Water Pump at 160K miles

P

PO-Dan

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Shreveport, LA
Ok, i parked my 1998 XJ and noticed a little coolant dripping. I came back an hour later and a lot more coolant had leaked out -- and it's still dripping a day later. I pulled off the splash guard and looked around, but I can not tell exactly where the leak is. If it is simply the water pump needing to be replaced, would coolant continue to leak long after the engine has cooled off?

I called the stealership and they want $390.77 to replace the pump. OUCH

Any ideas?

Thanks

OH: If I do it myself, I will need to drive it about 10 miles to a friends house where the tools and stuff are. If I refill the coolant bottle and the radiator, think I could drive it 10 miles without killing my engine?
 
If it is comming out of the weep hole, then the pump needs to be replaced. Screw the dealer, go pick on up at your local auto parts store. Also, check all your hoses, as there might be a crack or split in a hose.
 
if it is the waterpump i would recommend doing it yourself. it will save a boatload of money. if you can get to a autozone you can get a new one for about $40 or a rebuilt for $20.
 
Unfortunately, the weep hole is on the back side of the water pump. You might be able to see it with the aid of an inspection mirror. Sometimes, after it's leaked enough, you may even see a rust trail on the block or other components directly below.

If you have even the most basic mech skills and some hand tools, you can do this yourself. For $400, you can buy all of the parts (pump, hoses, etc.) and a whole bunch of tools you can use in the future.
 
Saudade said:
For $400, you can buy all of the parts (pump, hoses, etc.) and a whole bunch of tools you can use in the future.
Click to expand...
Saudade, that's the excuse I use every time I need, or want, a new tool.

I would go with the dealership or a Hesco for the waterpump. I got fed up with the lifetime warranty pumps after the third one in about two years. Good Luck.

Woody
 
man, forget the stealer, get a remanufactured one if you are low on funds and pop it in. you can get a remanufactured one , i think its gmb, for like 50.00 i think.
 
Whatever you decide I would recommend a new over a rebuild. Most parts stores carry new and rebuilds. New are a bit more money but worth the extra coin in my opinion.

I changed the pump on my 89 and cheaped out with a rebuilt. Leaked. Had it on and off three times before I decided to bring it back and get a new. I compared the two. The new had a nicely machined mounting surface. The rebuilt had been sandblasted so many times that the mounting surface was all wavy and distorted.

It's an easy job...do it yourself, save some money and treat yourself to a new tool....you deserve it:laugh:

Good luck,
Jay in MA
 
Last edited:
Jay Welch said:
Whatever you decide I would recommend a new over a rebuild. Most parts stores carry new and rebuilds. New are a bit more money but worth the extra coin in my opinion.

I changed the pump on my 89 and cheaped out with a rebuilt. Leaked. Had it on and off three times before I decided to bring it back and get a new. I compared the two. The new had a nicely machined mounting surface. The rebuilt had been sandblasted so many times that the mounting surface was all wavy and distorted.

It's an easy job...do it yourself, save some money and treat yourself to a new tool....you deserve it:laugh:

Good luck,
Jay in MA
Click to expand...

i agree with what he said. new is best, remanuf. if you reallllly have to.
 
put a new one on over the weekend from autozone for 29. Lifetime warranty.

oreillyautoparts has a reman for 19 if you really wanna get cheap.

scrap the gasket :)


Thiis weekend im going for the radiator
 
jeepbme said:
put a new one on over the weekend from autozone for 29. Lifetime warranty.

oreillyautoparts has a reman for 19 if you really wanna get cheap.

scrap the gasket :)


Thiis weekend im going for the radiator
Click to expand...

me and my dad actually just replaced the water pump and used the one from autozone. got one from advance but took it back because it was $41 and pretty dinged up
 
Well, I picked up a water pump, belt, and t-stat today from Napa. Will start the process late this afternoon.

Oh-- Is the splash guard under the engine needed? Mine was literally hanging on by 2 push-in pins and all torn up.
 
i took mine off long ago. but if you do some wheeling you might want to rethink because it does divert mud from the alternator.
 
PO-Dan said:
Well, I picked up a water pump, belt, and t-stat today from Napa. Will start the process late this afternoon.

Oh-- Is the splash guard under the engine needed? Mine was literally hanging on by 2 push-in pins and all torn up.
Click to expand...
man, if you dont go in mud and splash through big puddles you probably dont need it. and taking it off might help air circulate air better. but even on dusty roads it might help keep the engine bay cleaner a bit. i dont use one myself but know folks who like to keep it on there.

after doing the job yourself , pat yourself on the back and feel good about getting it done yourself. make sure the surfaces have been cleaned of all the old gaskets.

use pvc tape on the threads for the pipe that goes to the h2o pump, use the right size wrench as that thing can get rounded off easily.

you can loosen the tension on the serp belt at the PS pump, you'll discover all the secret hidden bolts there. one on the threads of the tension bolt and the ones that hold the pump bracket on behind the pump on the manifold side. just loosen em, dont have to remove any.

also be sure to tension the serp belt correctly. that'll keep everything happy for now.:yelclap::yelclap::yelclap::yelclap::yelclap:
 
I removed my splash guard, and replaced it with a piece of sheet metal from Home Depot. The new metal guard covers about 1/3 of the area the original did, directly under the alternator. It keeps the alternator dry when driving in the rain.
 
I usually use GMB (Japan) or TRW (US or Japan) - both have given me good service.

That pipe nipple uses a 3/8" NPT thread - you can just replace the damn thing. Use brass, rather than galvanised iron or steel.

A water pump isn't difficult - just time-consuming as all Hell. I don't recall how long it took me to do the last time, but I tend to get "everything" while I'm down there anyhow.

I don't have bolt sizes handy, but I think they're mostly an assortment of 5/16"-18 in different lengths, so you'll probably want to get replacements for those as well (stainless or brass preferred... If you have to get regular steel, coat them with either Teflon paste or RTV Black before you put them in, so they're protected against rust...)

5-90
 
Depends on how much splashing around you do. :) As I live in SoCal, I have yet to put mine back on since the last time I was underneath (about 6 months now). I will probably put it back just before the "rainy" season. The runoffs can get pretty deep in places.
 
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