Squeal, squeal... oh fugggg

[karaoke_carlos]

ANOTHER water pump dead. This is the 3rd water pump i'm replacing in a month. They are always failing at the shaft seal/bearing.

What can I possibly be doing wrong to kill the water pump again?

C:>

 

[grey ghost]

are you getting new ones or remans?

 

[rangerbert]

where you buying your water pumps from. go to napa get the good stuff.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

I've had great luck with the duralast (autozone) pumps for the 4.0. Brand new (not remanned) with a lifetime warranty. I've had one in mine for 60,000 now without even a drop of leakage.

Maybe your belt tension is too high and causing the shaft bearing to fail?

 

[karaoke_carlos]

Tension too high?

I thought with the idler pulley the tension was set automatically. Perhaps you're on to something. How can I loosen it?

Thanks,

Carlos

 

[JohnPi]

Belt tensioners can go bad without looking bad. You can't adjust them, but you can replace them (pretty easily). I had one go bad on a '94 F150 with the 5.0L, and the direct problem caused was bad water pump. If I remember right, the tensioner was actually pretty cheap (around $15 or so).

 

[karaoke_carlos]

Well.. the impeller broke in half... seems I'm having some sort of a clearance issue in the water pump. I just don't understand WHY!?!?!?!!?

 

[Stranger ranger]

Hmm. Something is definitely out of order if the impeller is breaking in half. Is your fan bent? If so I could be throwing it off and that would certainly cause it to wear.

 

[289-tiger-]

Sounds like the fan/clutch assembly is out of balance. Had the same issue years ago with my marque(not Ranger). In my case I had to take a stock pump and have the hub pressed deeper onto the shaft for fan clearance, thought it was the pressing process killing the pump, nope bad steel fan.

Good luck