I was discussing a little bit in another thread, but I wanted to throw this out for everyone. When I had my radiator changed just recently due to overheating, the mechanic also believed that my water pump was bad. I had this water pump installed at the dealership in Jan '02, so it's only about 2 1/2 years old. When they installed the new one last month, they gave me the old one, and almost all the fins were eaten away down to the core. I have been told a water pump should go about 100,000 miles or better. Can anyone tell me what could have happened to eat the fins away so quickly? I didn't see the pump they put in in '02, but it was at the dealership, so I hope it was new and an OEM Subaru part. Thanks

Yes, water pumps should last a long time. When I retired my 92 Legacy two years ago with 470,000 km (290,000 miles) on it, the water pump was still the original one and was working perfectly.

 

I suggest that your problem might be the water or coolant you use. For best results, the water should be distilled or have a low mineral content. Make sure the antifreeze (coolant) is formulated for aluminum engines.