Water pump died

[dosh8er]

Yeah.. it's crazy, but i had been watching my water pump for bout a year now.. it would make squeals only occasionally, especially in the cold... but yesterday, I went out to my car at work.. started her up.. and holy crap man.. it was making nice grinding growling squealing noises.
and it wouldn't stop. Got home.. thought i'd just do it today.. went to work today, making noise.. got off work.. got down the road.. BAM.. it was GONE. smoke started to rise from the spray of coolant under the hood.. so i coasted into a parking lot.. and walked back to work.

My old man came and picked me up.. we ran and got the new pump.. took about 2 hrs. piece of cake.. except .. i wish it was 70 degrees here.. not -7...

Wow.. it just went like that! That's a word for all you newbies/oldies/anybody. It can just happen.. like .. THAT. BAM.

Another interesting thing... when i got the new pump, i looked at the computer at the counter.. it said manufacture recommmened extended life coolant (dexcool.. the pink/orange stuff). Interesting.. I might make a conversion in the near future.. eh.. maybe not.. we'll see. Just a thought though.. there might be some truth to why they recommend that extended life stuff.. design perhaps?

Anyway.. i'm happy again.. no worries of a warped head or block or both.. smooth sailing still at 195k.

[carotman]

well, it's not like it happened all of a sudden, it's been one year since it started making noise :)

[Lester Lugnut]

I've used the green coolant in an '87 Accord I bought new in that year - 260,000 miles - running just fine.

Water pumps go because they get old, the coolant is not changed annually or the alt. belt is too tight, thereby killing the bearings in the pump.

The color of the coolant means nothing. The frequency of the coolant change does.

[smufguy]

the higher milage coolents do come in pink/red color coolents that is usually 50 coolent and 50 water type. Thats what the delaership bastards use for some reason.

[79EK1]

The belt tension has a lot to do with the longevity of the pump. If it's too tight you'll wear the pump out in 10-20k miles. Too loose and the belt could jump the pulley and the engine could overheat.

[AZmike]

I doubt a losing the belt would cause the engine to overheat. The charge warning light would come on as soon as it went since the alternator would be dead too.

[SiR]

It who still overheat if you let it run like that. If the bearings don't cook from lack of oil from the oil pump. All three vital accesesory under one belt, oh well...


Rooz

[dosh8er]

i'm aware what old, dirty coolant will do to a system... not only does the coolant get dirty, but it becomes ACIDIC and eats away at gaskets and other internals.. *cough* head gasket.. *cough*

Hrm.. i'm glad I didn't torque too heavily on that belt tension.. it's kinda tough to get a good fulcrum to pry on against the alternator to tighten it up. just snug and good, with minimal deflection like the books say.

BTW, the battery/charge light did come on... since the alternator IS connected to that belt that would only make sense.

but that extended life coolant (dexcool), I just mentioned that since there were some disputes about keeping with the genuine honda pumps. Maybe there's a reason why they recommended the extended life in the other aftermarket pumps... dunno.. just a thought.

[AccordEpicenter]

oil pump is on the timing belt... Anywho i was very close to blowing one a few weeks ago, it couldnt have had more than 25000 miles on it... I suspect poor manufacturing (aftermarket non-honda SHIT)