My 2 cents worth, never use recon water pumps they are usually crap and if they leak and you don't notice it you'll lunch your engine. I always use LR OEM but have never needed one as yet in 12 years 125K miles on original pump. Dusty is right, there are inner and outer seals and a 'telltale' weep hole underneath. Once water/coolant comes from the 'telltale' hole you might as well bin that pump and fit a new one. Usually the seals are going due to a worn bearing, perished rubber or just cheapo. Recon pumps are a short term fix and a waste of cash.

 

Good advice from all. It is coming from the weep hole and there is a little wobble. Sounds like this pump is soon to be toast. I put it all back together and am looking for a new one now.


I didn't notice any wobble in my fan clutch, laying underneath it with the engine running.


I haven't made a car payment on this truck since 2004, so I can't complain (much).


Best,


Charlie V

 

airtex has a good replacement. you can get brass impeller or standard

 

Thanks I will check that out. I was on Rovers North and stopped at the OEM versus cheapo.

 

I ran out of things to do in the bumper so the leaks project ramped up this afternoon. I have the oil pan off and some of the front components (compressor and alternator), fan, etc.

My water pump wasn't leaking. It was leaking at the junction of the hose to the hard line that enters the upper intake. The hose clamp was loose. Easy fix.

I know the oil pan gasket was an issue because when I loosened some of the bolts, oil came out of the holes and had been dripping around the bolts, so it had traveled under the gasket. This was my fault. Looking at the gasket, it was not aligned perfectly on two of the bolt holes. Even more my fault, I forgot to RTV the joints in the case last time I replaced it. Easy fix for all of that.

The hard part is the oil leak that may be the main seal or it may be something else. All of the oil seems to be coming from the passenger side, by the oil filter housing. The oil filter housing and oil sensor above it are soaked in oil. The other side of the engine is clean of oil. Fans can do crazy things but I don't see it blowing oil up, and it seems to be coming from a point higher than the oil filter housing. The valve cover is dry. The valley gasket is dry. I have not removed the main pulley but behind it is it wet on the passenger side only. It is clean on the driver side.

If the main seal was leaking wouldn't it be wet on both sides and wet mainly below that? To be clear, I have not removed the front cover yet because I starting looking higher up than the main seal in the hope that I could avoid replacing the main seal. There is alot of oil higher than the main seal.

Any thoughts?

 

So if someone put a gun to my head and said you have one second to tell me where the oil is coming from I would, based on what is wet and what isn't, stupidly say that it is coming from the back of the tensioner pulley. I haven't removed the tensioner yet but that seems to be about the right height and location to explain the oil below it, based on what I can see now.

 

Got it done. Drove for an hour and so far no leaks. I'd forgotten what a chore it is to remove the timing cover. Wow.