View Single Post
Old 01-26-2021, 06:28 PM   #12
Tx Firefighter
Watch out for your cornhole !
 
Tx Firefighter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Azle, Texas
Posts: 14,162
Re: 97 5.7 water pump

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom View Post
At which point they must refund your money, and you go buy another one at a different location or company.

OP, how is this your 3rd pump? I'm on the original with over 200k on my 98. I say spend the extra, get the good stuff, and don't worry about it again most likely.
.....and, seriously, check or replace that fan clutch. A bad fan clutch will knock out a water pump.

A few weeks ago I was under my own truck doing some suspension work. I like to lay there with my flashlight and just look around. I do this periodically. This time I look up and notice a drip hanging off my lower radiator hose. Closer look reveals the water pump is leaking out the weep hole.

No big deal, I go in the house and Rockauto a new pump and a new lower hose for good measure.

Ain't no big deal. I do love catching issues before they become a problem anyway. This is a new-to-me truck so I'm still catching up on stuff that needs attention.

The new pump gets here and I install it and the hose. No issues whatsoever. I'm actually humming and enjoying the process. I do love fixing trucks. Then I reach over and grab the fan to install it and something sticky gets on my fingers. What the hell ? Fan clutch leaking. I hadn't noticed that before. Then i really look close and when I rock it forcefully, there is a lot of play in the clutch. A lot !

What's the point ? I nearly missed it and the fan clutch was guaranteed the reason the water pump failed to start with. That's a lot of mass mounted on the snout of that water pump and when it spins wobbly, the bearings stand no chance of enduring it for very long.
__________________
I'm on the Instagram- @Gearhead_Kevin
Tx Firefighter is offline   Reply With Quote