The water pump and fan clutch are still original on Redrover so I try to keep an eye on them regularly since the truck is now up to 160,000 miles.


Our older son made a last-minute trip home from the beach for Father's Day so I was poking around under the hood with him. I showed him how to test the fan clutch and it was just fine. Then I wiggled the fan to test for play in the water pump bearing. There was only a very little play, but it did seem to be a bit more than when I last tested it, probably last fall.


Is any play in the water pump bearing acceptable? I know, I know - at 160k just change the damn thing and the fan clutch as a preventive measure. But with the truck at the beach for the summer I'd at least rather wait until mid-August at least and not have to do it down there one weekend. That said, I've read the horror stories about what can happen if the water pump fails catastrophically. Thanks.

 

Did you remove the belt when checking for the play so that you could get a feel or hearing of the bearing condition? I replaced my pump after just feeling that the bearing was dry/dragging a tiny bit and would not have waited to feel any play. If play is felt it's time to R&R pump otherwise it's a gamble.
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Yes, I popped the belt off the idler so there was no belt tension to camouflage play in the shaft.

 

" Is any play in the water pump bearing acceptable? "


NO! Don't put it off, just replace it. And please at all cost AVOID a cheap pump (like GMB, etc) Get an Airtex water pump and you are back to HAPPY TOWN!