Water Pump Replacment

[87xlt]

So I've had a coolant leak for a while now. Replaced the thermostat, nothing. So I figured i should replace the water pump. Ripped it all apart and this was waiting for me on the other side...

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6738512&l=cd82942180&id=595165257

I have no idea where the other pieces are, or how the hell it even happend. Anyone got any ideas how it happend?

I'm kinda curious, espicially how long my motor is gonna last with the shrapnel clogging the water jackets....

 

[Yvan]

Ho boy!!! It's the first time a see something like that. Your water pump bearing is probaly worn and the impeler just waered by hitting the block.

For your engine life, if it doesn't over heat, there's is no problem. the parts are probably stock somewhere in your water galery, and your coolant can go throug. But the problem is if the parts strart to move, i'm not shure, but i think it can glogged your rad.

I hope you understand me and my english is not to bad.

 

[IMenriched]

simple for the explanation.
...Once upon a time, there wasn't enough collant/ anitfreeze in the system, (if any)...temps dropped , significantly, and it got started. 1 possible cause anyway....In all likelyhood one impellor blade got broke and rattled around took out the others.

the other possible cause to have damage like that ...is something got left in the coolant passages of the block.

solution....?
you might get lucky and some/most of the fragements are in the bottom side of the radiator. Remove it and flush it out and see what is there.

ALSO get a flexable magnet and fish it onto the coolant ports of the block as far as possible. Wiggle it around slowly and see if you can pull anything out that way. (check to see that the impeller is steel and not alum or Stainless Steel.....if a magnet sticks to the impeller or what left of it, then your good to go)

the only other way to make sure that everything is out is to remove the engine and strip it down and have the block and heads boiled and flushed. Dont think that the top side would have gotten anything there....provided that the thermostat was ALWAYS in place....but still small bits could sneak by.

thought at 1 time somebody/ some company, made a coolant filter that spliced into one of the coolant hoses, not sure where or who or if they are even making the product any more.