Just about every two years, like clock work, the water pump fails. Of course, this time, it was after I put in a new radiator and actually put in a decent coolant/water mixture. Is there just something about the pump design that causes them to fail so often, or is my truck just being a PITA?

 

Neither. It's the pumps you're buying. I've never changed the pump in my engine, and it's the factory one. The engine was wrecked, sat in a junkyard for a year or so, and has now been in my truck (getting FLOGGED) for over a decade & a half.

How exactly are they failing? Bearings, seals, impeller, housing...? What brand are you buying, and where are you getting them?

What ENGINE does the truck have?

 

next time you buy one get one with a lifetime warranty.

 

Best thing I've ever found to elongate water pump life, is an electric fan.

 

Seals, I'd guess. They either leak or dump the coolant out. It was leaking this time. I've been buying re-manufactured ones since they kept, and keep, going out.

The truck has a 351W HO 4BBL.
That's the plan. I'm just going to buy a new one. Pep Boys has a...Bosch unit I believe that comes with a lifetime warranty.
I'd love to get one, but it isn't exactly budget friendly ATM.

 

Thats what it is is the Cheap Reman pumps! When the pump fails it starts leaking the propeler most lickley stops turning...

 

Most new parts aren't LLT, and Bosch isn't known for making good aftermarket parts. In fact, they DON'T make water pumps. They just license the use of their name to crappy oriental junk that's sold in the zone. Go to a real parts store (NAPA, Parts+Plus, CarQuest, All-Pro) or at least a better cheapo (O'Reilly, Advance) and get something better. Good parts cost less than crappy ones in the long run.

And it doesn't cost anything to check the price at Ford. Occasionally, they'll surprise you with a competetive (or LOWER) price.

 

I called Kragen (O'Reilly), and they have their Lifetime MasterPro (or whatever they call 'em) for $29.99. A local parts store has one with a 1 year warranty for ~$35 IIRC. NAPA would have to order it, and I really need it tomorrow. Maybe I will just go with the one from the local parts store 2 minutes up the road. Heck, I get a discount through them too. They sell pretty good quality stuff anyways, and it will save me a 3 hour round trip to Sacramento for the "Bosch" one, or a Ford one. Thank you for the input everyone. I appreciate it! I hope getting a decent, and new, water pump will help alleviate this recurring problem.

 

i bought a brand new lifetime warrantied napa pump for my new engine. first one lasted 7 months, second one lasted a little over 1 year before i actually looked for the leak, third one is currently leaking at about 10 months old. the original pump on my old engine went 14 years and 260000 miles and still had nothing wrong. i'm also on my third napa radiator(i put the electric fan on the second one). the electric fan makes doing the water pump alot quicker

 

NAPA has to sell to people who want cheap parts, too, so they sell some cheap parts. You have to get the GOOD brands & lines. Don't ask for the cheapest thing they have - ask for the best, and then see what your budget allows.

The Ford/MotorCraft pump on my truck has lasted over 15 years already, so when it goes out, I'm willing to spend 3x as much for a MotorCraft pump as for any aftermarket brand. But I bet I can get one for ~1.5x as much as a Bosch. What's your plan?

 

Evidently, it wasn't the water pump. New water pump and new seal and it is still pouring out. Timing cover?

 

You didn't pinpoint the source before taking it apart???

 

The source appeared to be the water pump, just like it has been in the past. Water was coming out from underneath it, as it had before, though it is a bit tough to "pinpoint" a leak under a water pump with the crank pulley directly below it. That sort of blocks the view...

 

OK But you can remove the belt & WP pulley to fully expose the pump, then dump some water in & see where it's running out. If it doesn't run immediately, you can idle the engine for a few minutes to build up pressure, or rent/borrow a coolant pressure tester.

 

Well, when I initially started filling the radiator up with water before the truck was started, it was running out of the bottom drain hole of the water pump (I could see that from the side). I then turned it on, and it started leaking out of where ever the problem apparently is and no longer out of that drain hole. Beyond that, I think for the time being, the truck is going to sit and I'm going to go finish the Bronco rebuild up on Saturday morning and use that for now. I will have to pull some stuff and see what I find along the way.