4 cyl water pump durability - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Davee · 05-09-2005, 12:20 PM

Are there any water pump variations to be aware of in looking at replacements (97 Camry)
How long are originals lasting ? I am at 173,000 km & no problems but may well do it on timing belt change coming up.
PS search did not give much help so I think this is a valid new thread

500KCamry · 05-09-2005, 12:33 PM

My 85 never had a new water pump put in it (500,000 km or 300,000 miles).

My 95 had a water pump put in at about 500,000 km but didn't need it.

The impeller blades seem to hold up and do not wear down appreciably, I suspect that if the pump went it would be the bearing and you'd see this by coolant weeping through it or hear it.

Mike Gerber · 05-09-2005, 01:39 PM

Much of the durability of the water pump has to do with how often the coolant is changed. The longer the coolant has been in the engine, the more it's additives wear out and therefore the more damage it can do to internal parts like the water pump. If you have maintained the cooling system well, with coolant changes every 30,000 miles or 2-3 years, the lesser the likelyhood of having the waterpump fail. I would also consider how long you plan to keep the car. Then again, it really isn't that much more money when changing the timeing belt to do the water pump too. It's really your decision to make. I'm just trying to give you some information to help you make your decision.

Mike

ShawnM · 05-09-2005, 06:31 PM

We always replace them with the timing belt. Have seen a few go out before the belt was due (bearing failure), but thats not all that common.

Davee · 05-11-2005, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 500KCamry

My 85 never had a new water pump put in it (500,000 km or 300,000 miles).

My 95 had a water pump put in at about 500,000 km but didn't need it.

The impeller blades seem to hold up and do not wear down appreciably, I suspect that if the pump went it would be the bearing and you'd see this by coolant weeping through it or hear it.

Thanks -- I tend to trust Canadians more since I AM CANADIAN (but drink Creemore). Lots of "enthusiasts seem to throw $'s at invisible problems. Maybe hot temperatures kill rubber parts faster in the South. I will leave the pump alone. Water pump on Volvo lasted longer than the rest of the car B4 selling at 280,000 km.

fj40supraman · 05-11-2005, 03:08 PM

He's correct water pump is nothing but a bearing with a impeller (or is is a propeller) and the only thing that can really go wrong with it is the bearing goes out in which case the car will overheat and it'll prolly leak out the weep hole. This is one of those things it either works or it doesn't and you don't fix it till it breaks, unless of course you have nothing to do and you have the timing chain off. They are kinda a pain as you have to scrape all the old gasket material off and re permatex them.

ShawnM · 05-11-2005, 06:40 PM

If the bearing locks up or falls apart it wont just leak, it will destroy the timing belt in seconds.

Davee · 05-11-2005, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShawnM

If the bearing locks up or falls apart it wont just leak, it will destroy the timing belt in seconds.

I only ever had one fail in service on n older Volvo -- It leaked first & never seized. If you let the coolant level get low I expect it would cause bearing failure

manasseh61 · 05-11-2005, 07:22 PM

always replace when do timingbelt, the problem is the seal, if seal leaks than go throgh the bearing that cause the bearing damage , I found 99 camry with less than 60k timing belt broke due to water pump bearing damage,but won't hurt the valve or piston

skewe · 05-11-2005, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 500KCamry

The impeller blades seem to hold up and do not wear down appreciably, I suspect that if the pump went it would be the bearing and you'd see this by coolant weeping through it or hear it.

When you mentioned the word WEEPING. Is that a sound that come on after the AC is running?
If that is so, then F*** I think my water pump is about to bite the dust. Have not changed it since i bought the car at 155k. Now, it's at 180k. Timing belt was changed before i got it and it looks new.

Did flush the radiator myself though. Put in preston antifreeze (hey, i did not know i was suppose to get toyota antifreeze @ that time)

Mike Gerber · 05-12-2005, 01:07 AM

skewe,

What he meant by weeping was the coolant leaking out slightly from a weep hole built in to the water pump. This is so when the internal seal in the water pump goes out, the coolant can escape out this hole. There is usually no sound associated with this weeping, but a water pump can make strange noises when the bearings wear out. This is not the sound you hear when the ac is on.

Mike

skewe · 05-12-2005, 08:09 AM

Mike Gerber,

Thanks.

I hear like a weeping sound or some weird sound for like 2 seconds and it goes off.
Still trying to figure that sound out..

Mike Gerber · 05-12-2005, 01:48 PM

skewe,

It could be the belt that turns the compressor slipping when the ac first turns on. After a few rotations of the belt slipping, the friction created by the slipage heats up the belt and makes it grab better. Check the tension of the belt.

It could also be normal noise from the compressor itself. Some do make a bit of noise until the oil inside the compressor reaches everything that needs to be lubricated. This thought is just an educated guess.

I would also suggest you try listening to another Camry of your year and engine to see if that Camry makes the same noise as your's does when the ac first turns on. It might be a normal noise. Do you know anybody with the same year and engine as your's? If not, go to a Toyota dealer and tell them you are looking for a used Camry of your year and engine and ask if they have any like that you can test drive.

Mike

skewe · 05-12-2005, 02:54 PM

Mike,

Thanks. It only happened after i changed my compressor cos of a/c problems. Then, i had to take it to the shop to fill it with refrigrant. Long story short, it happened after a/c problem.

It would sound as if it was sucking in cold air, sounds like a wheezing sound (as opposing to wheeping sound) for 2 seconds. That would happen after the a/c has been running for about 5-10 min.

Thanks for the help. I do not think i am going to take it to the dealer cos my camry is not worth much and do not want to invest big bucks to fix a minor problem. It's not a problem actually but i am more worried about it breaking (then it's a problem).

thx