im doing my timing belt (45k on the od) and im debating changing the water pump. it has no shaft play but if i turn it extremely slow i feel a slight jerkyness to it. is this normal for this pump or should i replace it? all the other cars water pumps ive changed were free spinning, this 1 has some resistance. thanks in advance for the help.

 

i wouldn't give it the benifit of a doubt. get a new one!

 

Agreed Mine went out at only 43k So who knows yours could go after you hit 46k. Just do it all at once it will be easier for you.

 

i know but id hate to change it if its still good, money is tight right now for the next few months

by jerky i mean its almost like pulling your finger across a glass table when it makes the squeeky sound minus the sound and much less resistance. if that made any sense.

 

That's a good sign of bearings beginning to wear out.

 

Change it. Would you rather to your timing belt job twice?

Aaron

 

You may have the one that came off of my car at 60K. It feels like new and has a double your money back warranty. No gasket.

 

thanks guys i guess ill hafta swap it out

 

I didn't change mine at 60k and its still working great at 91k miles. Haha. I can do a timing belt job in 2 hours or less though.

 

They have some spinning resistance because of the seal. Mine is still going strong at 67k. My local mitsu dealer doesn't even replace them when customers come in for a 60k service. IMO its not timing belt driven so if it fails it won't instantly cost you an engine. Only way it would really do damage is if you ignore the temp gauge.

 

it does feel as if its rubbing against a seal hmm now im perplexed. i know they are supposed to be changed at 120k but im still worried....its only gotta last 2 more years if that.

 

Every brand new evo water pump I have installed they always feel a little "rubbery" when turning them. They sure don't spin freely. Sounds fairly normal to me.

 

I'd say change it now if you're worried about it and/or don't want to pull it all back apart just to replace it when it does go bad.

 

I don't know if the water pump has ball bearings in it or not, but "catching" is a common sign of ball bearings wearing out. Even new ball bearings don't spin very easily. The pump should turn smooth with some friction (the seal). There shouldn't be any catching like you described.