Water pump?

[6716]

The fan clutch has been clunking for a little while now, I'm fairly certain it is ready to be replaced. Sounds like it did when I replaced it last time about 100K ago.

Now, though, there is a new and very loud shrieking consistent with engine speed. It wasn't so bad when it first started about a month or so ago, and I thought it might just be belt noise in the cold.

But it's pretty bad now, especially when it got warm enough today that I wasn't running the blower on 5 and it was super hard to ignore. I tried turning the blower back on and the radio way up, but I could STILL hear it!

Idling I get a little intermittent noise, but it gets loud as I accelerate. Like embarrassingly so.

This morning it didn't start until I had been driving on city streets for 10 minutes or so.

Additionally, there is the odor of coolant when I open the hood, and that is new. Plus when I went in for an oil change, the guy noted no coolant in the reservoir. And the engine is running just a hint to the right of straight up center on the temp gauge.

When I listen, it sounds like it is coming right from the center of the engine.

Questions:
1) It wouldn't be the fan clutch making that noise, do you suppose?
2) If it is the water pump, how does it break such that it loses fluid?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Texan]

The water pump has a seal on the shaft. The noise might be the pump bearings.

 

[meerschm]

you have a choice, change the water pump asap (that means now), or get towed when it fails and most of the rest of your coolant is lost and sprays all over your engine.

 

[6716]

you have a choice, change the water pump asap (that means now), or get towed when it fails and most of the rest of your coolant is lost and sprays all over your engine.

That's the sort of straightforward answer I'm after!

What part of that part do you suppose is leaking/broken? Just out of idle curiosity.

 

[Wooluf1952]

If all the bolts are tight, the most likely spot is out of the weep hole. It happens when the seal goes bad.

 

[meerschm]

You also want to turn all the pulleys by hand when you have the belt off. there are two idler pulleys, one on the tension-er, they have internal bearings which go bad.

but the growling, increasing with acceleration, is classic water pump.

also with the engine off, you can push the fan blade, (front to back of vehicle) and note the water pump allows movement.

the water pump is pretty simple, one part is bolted to the engine, the other part, the impeller, rotates within the housing. pulley on outside, impeller on the inside.

over time, wear happens, the bushing/bearings get loose, and the seal cannot keep up with the increased range of motion of the rotating part. if you wait too long, you get extra parts.


again, the important part is to change it while it is the only thing you have to do. if you wait too long, you have a dead car in a snowstorm, away from home. not a pretty picture.

 

[Midnyteryder196]

again, the important part is to change it while it is the only thing you have to do. if you wait too long, you have a dead car in a snowstorm, away from home. not a pretty picture.

That's a pretty vivid picture, sounds like someone has been there?

 

[meerschm]

I had a water pump fail after ignoring the sound, that was in a '67 econoline i drove to a job interview. coolant and steam all over the parking lot. had to have it towed.
it was my dad's judgement to ignore the sound. he paid for the tow and repair. I was still in high school and borrowing the car.

a few years ago, the familiar sound came to visit my '03 TB, but while I was visiting the wife's relatives at the end of Cape Cod, five hundred miles from my toolbox. that case was not too bad, was able to drive into the local mechanic, i took my bike for a ride from the garage, and back when he was done. I had to follow up and purchase bolts to mount the fan shroud to the top of the radiator, garage left 'em on the floor.

Good Luck to the OP.

 

[Gevans17]

If all the bolts are tight, the most likely spot is out of the weep hole. It happens when the seal goes bad.

just bought water pump #3 for my 02 TB and this one doesnt have a weep hole