Dodgy Water Pump?

So while changing my drive belts, I'd removed the radiator and the cooling fan/coupling. I by chance noticed a bit of a wobble and slap in the water pump...

I take it this is abnormal and probably why my alternator belt was so worn out. I'd zero cooling issues at all. Kinda glad I found this now, I've a trip to Scotland planned but I didn't want to have a failed pump whilst up in the middle of nowhere.

It's a wonder how thats not leaking coolant from the bearing aperture. Slight play and the standard 'roller skate' bearing noise when spun is a tale tale sign. It'll carry on functioning until the bearing totally lets go. Now that you've done all the great work and exposed it, it'd be silly not to replace the Water pump as a whole

Yea I got one in the local Eurocar Parts.

It's getting the bloody thing off now. I've had a peek through the service manual and it recommends red liquid gasket but it's proper stuck on. I think I'll have to resort to the hammer and a length of 2x4.

Podge wrote: Yea I got one in the local Eurocar Parts.

It's getting the bloody thing off now. I've had a peek through the service manual and it recommends red liquid gasket but it's proper stuck on. I think I'll have to resort to the hammer and a length of 2x4.

Podge, water pumps are often stuck with a mild vacuum keeping them in place. You can use a standard puller/pusher to get them off, but it’s not essential. Drain as much of the coolant as you can below the level of the pump, pop the pulley back on and use that to ‘carefully’ apply some forward levering pressure on the pump. Use a block of wood or similar (pry bar and rag) to minimise any marring.

I had success on my BMW Z3 by wrapping some scrap cable around the back side of the pulley and using a long bit of 2x4 with a levering action to snatch/pull the pump out of it’s little aperture.