DeSubiefan Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 I bougght a 95 Legacy 2.2 wagon one year ago from a private used car lot. The dealer claimed he had changed to water pump and TC prior to the sale. When the water pump failed in April, my mechanic (I use a friend who is a factory trained Subie guy ) said it did not look new. The water pump again failed in November. The parts store gave me a new one under warranty, but I was still out the labor. Two months later, this thing is once again dripping coolant, apparently from the from front housing cover, so its likely its the pump again. My question is this: is there anything that could be wrong that could cause the water pumps to be chewed up? Obviously, I won't know its the pump for sure until he gets in there, but I thought I'd throw the question out there. Any help is appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgd73 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 not an expert... but did find a rare case of shavings acting as a sand blaster in the coolant- from little rubber hoses at the bend breaking and a mystery pump that healed itself. I only found it after tipping radiator upside down to have some fall out. even a flush with new fluid can't get it all. Could be slag as the source or someone dumped some bad sealant in system to stop a leak.This may be the case with yours. also, Out of balance pulley while running watch the pump, see if it is wobbling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeSubiefan Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 not an expert...but did find a rare case of shavings acting as a sand blaster in the coolant- from little rubber hoses at the bend breaking and a mystery pump that healed itself. I only found it after tipping radiator upside down to have some fall out. even a flush with new fluid can't get it all. Could be slag as the source or someone dumped some bad sealant in system to stop a leak.This may be the case with yours. also, Out of balance pulley while running watch the pump, see if it is wobbling. The main crank pulley does have a slight wobble. Would this have an effect on the pump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svxpert Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 <<My question is this: is there anything that could be wrong that could cause the water pumps to be chewed up?>> are you using a genuine subaru water pump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeSubiefan Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 <<My question is this: is there anything that could be wrong that could cause the water pumps to be chewed up?>> are you using a genuine subaru water pump? No, aftermarket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svxpert Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 <<No, aftermarket>> how exactly did it fail the other two times? i always use genuine subaru parts when it comes to engine parts. doubt you had 3 bad pumps though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newsance Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Yes, a wobble in the main crank pulley can kill a water pump- the uneven pressure on the belt will chew up the bearings, that then get enough play to kill the seal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 you'll need to replace that bad crank pulley. i've never seen a bad pulley cause this, and i've seen a number of bad pulleys, but none on a 2.2 yet. it is certainly an obvious possibility that needs to be addressed before resorting to guesswork. the wobbling could easily be putting stress on the water pump shaft, seal and bearings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankosolder2 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Yes, a wobble in the main crank pulley can kill a water pump- the uneven pressure on the belt will chew up the bearings, that then get enough play to kill the seal. This is timing belt driven water pump. I can't see how wobble in a crank pulley could damage a part which is not driven by it! (i.e. the pump is driven by the toothed sprocket behind the crank pulley.) If we know the failure mode of the pump (seals bad, bearings OK? Bearings shot? ) that would be helpful info. I say either crud in the cooling system, substandard aftermarket pumps or a problem with the T-Belt tensioner binding or something. Good luck! Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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