Does anyone know the symptom of a bad bearing in the water pump? The idler pully bearing seems to be fine.

In researhing the price for a water pump, I saw a picture of the pump, and there is a nut on the back side of the impeller. Can this nut come loose and what would be the sypmtom?

Also, When changing the water pump, Do you need to drain all the coolant? are there procedures posted anywhere for changing out the water pump?

I have lots of noise coming from the location of the water pump.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

afonda, if the impeller comes loose, you would be getting a lot of metal screeching sounds coming from the water pump as the impeller would be bouncing off the sides of the pump casing. You would possibly also see the car have a tendency to overheat due to decreased coolant flow (depending on how long this has been going on).

As for changing the coolant and draining the liquid, you don't have to drain all of it, but you will be draining probably about 75% of it, so, might as well drain it all and make sure you have good stuff in there.

 

would it sound like a gurgling? It sounds like a bearing running under water.

 

afonda, it is possible that you have a bad ball in the bearing and the ball bearing is now flatspotted. That will cause more of a thump, thump, thump sound. The bad impellers I have heard have made a screeching sound like metal rubbing on metal. It is all a matter of how it is failing. IF the impeller comes loose, you get a screech, the bearing just starts wearing out, it may leak with no sound, make a flat spot sound, it may screech itself, may do who knows what. All depending on how it is failing.

 

glurrrrgluuurrrrrgaglurrrrrrrrrrrrgagaglurrrrrrr.. ..... you get the idea. and it is rpm sensative coming from the area of the water pump.

 

Not to ask a silly question, but you have sufficient level in the overflow bottle correct? Should be near the max line when the motor is warm. If you are down about 2" from the line when the motor is warm, try adding some water first to see if this helps. Based on your description, sounds like cavitation of the impeller or impeded flow. Adding the little bit extra water may help to put enough pressure on the water pump that it will help with this. Otherwise, I would be recommending to pull off the water pump and see what the inside looks like. But, normally you will end up with either an overheating problem (due to lack of flow) or the bearing on the front of the water pump will start leaking (trashing the bearing).