How do you feel about changing a water pump as preventive measure?

[ekrampitzjr]

The 2011 Ranger I bought has 102,000 miles and it's time to change the original coolant. Ford specifies 105,000. I have the 50/50 Motorcraft Gold coolant to match what's specified. No reason to go to another type of coolant, I don't think.

To avoid draining coolant again sooner than required, I have the Simmons aluminum thermostat housing. As a preventive measure, I will be replacing the original plastic housing while the coolant system is empty. The thermostat and coolant temp sensor will be replaced during this, and both of those parts are Motorcraft. I'll also replace the belt tensioner, idler pulley, and serpentine belt while I'm there.

My question is this: what do the rest of you think about changing the water pump while I'm doing this other work? No problems with the original as far as I know, but I'm just trying to be proactive. I've ordered a replacement Motorcraft pump from Rock Auto, so it'll be available.

Or are you finding that Ranger 4.0 SOHC water pumps last a long time and there's no need to worry about it yet? (That is, leave well enough alone?)

Thanks!

 

[Dirtman]

Look at the condition of the coolant, if it comes out nice and clean than there's no reason to worry about the water pump. They can last 200k+ if the coolant is kept clean. Motorcraft gold is good stuff and lasts a long time, i did mine at 75k and it came out as clean as the new stuff I put in...

 

[franklin2]

It would be more of a question of how hard is it to replace? If it is easy to get to, then you could replace it anytime it may fail. If it's buried in there, and you happen to have it accessible while doing other work, then by all means replace it.

Replacing the waterpump on my wife's Honda Accord is standard procedure when changing the timing belt. The timing belt is required to be changed about 90,000-100,000 miles. It's a interference engine, so it's not good if it breaks. It's a major job to get to, and the waterpump is driven off the timing belt. So while you are paying for labor to do the belt, you go ahead and change the waterpump and a couple of seals in there also. Cost wise, it just makes sense.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

I'm doing the work myself. On the 4.0, it's on the center front of the engine just below the thermostat housing, and the radiator fan is mounted to it.

 

[RonD]

Since you are not working in that area and have no reason to remove fan clutch I would just put the new water pump away as a spare for now

Remember to reverse the heater hoses at the firewall to reverse flow thru heater core, you should do this on ANY vehicle every 2 years, it helps keep the heater core cleaner, i.e. back flushing while you drive

 

[cschannuth]

Maybe I’m just lucky but I drive Ford vehicles for work and usually put at least 250,000 miles on them before I get my next one and I’ve never replaced a water pump in 40 years of driving.

 

[ericbphoto]

How much of the vehicle's history do you know? If you're the original owner and the coolant is clean, skip the pump for a while.

If you're not the original owner, evaluate the condition of the truck. Does it appear to have been taken care of properly? If so and the coolant is clean, skip the pump. If not and it seems like you, as the 17th owner are the first one to do any maintenance at all, then you may want to consider a new pump.

 

[DILLARD000]

If replacing\removing the Shroud+Fan+FanClutch+SerpBelt+RadiatorHoses+ThermoStatHousing,
the WaterPump is connected to all the above items & easy to change, once above items are removed.
Considering 100kMiles+, I'd choose to swap in a new FoMoCo pump, then cleanup+lube+bag old pump as a spare;
at least you'll have some confidence in a new pump after running it a few hundred miles in hot summer weather.
My factory Pump went out at about 150kMiles, but new pumps\bearings can be bad from get-go; it's a JudgementCall\CrapShoot.

 

[gaz]

ekram,

I would also change the pump, prudent move and you have every reason in the world to ∆ it with 105k on the truck.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

The coolant looks clean, but I'm sure it's original fill. I'm the third owner, according to the Carfax report. The truck was maintained in terms of oil changes, but it had the original spark plugs and wires and ATF. All that's been changed now.

While the coolant is drained, I intended to backflush the heater core with a garden hose. I know heater cores are a Ranger weak spot and I want to keep the original as long as possible. I'm going to change the two radiator hoses while it's drained, and these will be Motorcraft replacements.

Oddly enough, I've never replaced a water pump either, even on 300,000–mile vehicles. Just lucky...so far... I like Dillard's idea of keeping the original pump as a spare.

 

[Dirtman]

Most cooling system issues stem from a lack of maintenance on older rangers. This is why gold is such good coolant. It's no more effective than the standard old fashion green but while the green stuff needs to be flushed every 2 years or so the gold can last 10 years before breaking down. So basically you could neglect a newer ranger longer before having any issues like blown up heater cores or failed water pumps...

If you had green coolant in that truck for 10 years and 100k miles id say yup, replace the pump. But gold is just fine at that age.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

If it aint broke, dont fix it.

 

[DILLARD000]

Glad to see you're swapping an Aluminum ThermoStat Housing for the factory junk Plastic ThermoStat Housing,
before its leaks, overheats your engine, &\or leaves you stranded.

 

[funguy26]

I can't find the gold or any other ford coolent. I just change all my cars to dex cool. My Ranger dex cool, honda accord dex cool, sisters BMW dex cool, 84 f250 dex cool.

 

[RonD]

Yes, dex cool is a HOAT coolant so can be used in any cooling system regardless of what it had before

While there is no "required" color coding for coolants, generally the yellow/gold is HOAT based so can mix with silicate base(green) or OAT base(red/pink) without issue

But you should never mix silicate(green) and OAT(red) together, it will cause a sludge build up in cooling system

On older vehicles I use silicate base(green) because I know I will have to drain cooling system or will lose coolant over its 2 year life span, lol
I am cheap, so don't want to have to pay for the HOAT replacement