Oh, great!! Now my water pump is leaking. And I thought that squeak was a belt. Looks like I'm replacing a water pump and hoses this weekend.
HISTORY:
This started a few days ago with an annoying chirp/squeak sound that I thought was a worn belt and idle pulley. I replaced these, and it went away for a bit, but then returned with a vengeance. I read that the belt really needed to be tight, so I adjusted it some thinking that would help but did not. I did the whole 'spraying water on the belt to see if it was the belt or a bearing on a pulley' thing. Not really sure it made much difference and in doing this, and thinking it was a pulley that was squeaking I got some oil on the belt. Oh, boy. I cleaned it with carb cleaner, and it got some better but not completely gone. I was underneath, and saw some radiator fluid dripping. I checked the fan and there is wobble in the fan when I wiggle it. The tight belt must be putting tension on the worn bearings on the water pump causing it to leak. Am I missing something?
Jeep is new to me at 156K miles.
I've watched a few videos on line, most are on newer models with the 4.0, but I was wondering if there are any things on this '91 to watch out for? Pro tips? Things NOT to do?
Also, does the gasket need to have RTV or is it suppose to not be necessary?
Since you already have the system drained maybe you should replace the tstat with a good quality one. Perfect time to do it. Get one from the dealership with the hole in it so it can self purge.
Remember to burp the air out of the system when done.
Since you have to get in there, also consider a few other items:
Timing chain (this is a good maintenance item if you've already cleared the way and are above about 150,000 miles)
Thermostat
Fan Clutch (if you have the Mopar, I'd leave it until it breaks.
Radiator (only if it is really old, like mine)
Good ideas! Thanks. The fan clutch is OEM, the thermostat was changed not long before I got the Jeep and the radiator is not terribly old from what I can tell.
If the tstat doesn't have a purge hole I it you should still pull it and if nothing else drill the hole.
While you have it out back flush the cooling system.
You will need to burp it to get the air out after the pump. A flush t helps. After it's back together and ready a quick pressure test would be a good idea too. Tool loan program at the parts store for the gauge.
I thought my water pump was failing by the noise.
I replaced it, the thermostat, fan clutch, radiator, hoses, belt, harmonic balancer ect, all at the same time.
Thing is, the OEM pump was still good. It turned out to be the idler pulley. (whoops)
Okay
So the original lasted 25 years plus. So I looked around and found an original Mopar pump. I found the original part number and dug around the internet, a dealer (don't remember which one) still had an original buried on a shelf somewhere.
Dusty box & all.
So while it was apart, I used CLR and flushed the crap out of the block passages. I didn't use RTV to seal it, I cleaned every scrap of old gasket off and used a very thin layer of aircraft gasket sealer #3 by permatex.
When I shop for engine or trans related parts, I shop for the best quality I can find, price doesn't enter into the equation. (within reason)
Definitely on the bleed hole. So many problems with people not being able to bleed their system without the hole. I think the air bubbles impact against the cold closed thermostat and have very low heat transfer, so it takes forever for the thermostat to open. Then when it finally does pop open, it shoots air everywhere and the radiator fill port erupts with scalding hot coolant and hot gas all over your elbows and driveway. Then the thermostat closes after some eruption, and the process starts again with more air collecting against the thermostat.
Moral of the story, drill the bleed hole at the 12:00 position so air can pass through unobstructed.
Definitely on the bleed hole. So many problems with people not being able to bleed their system without the hole. I think the air bubbles impact against the cold closed thermostat and have very low heat transfer, so it takes forever for the thermostat to open. Then when it finally does pop open, it shoots air everywhere and the radiator fill port erupts with scalding hot coolant and hot gas all over your elbows and driveway. Then the thermostat closes after some eruption, and the process starts again with more air collecting against the thermostat.
Moral of the story, drill the bleed hole at the 12:00 position so air can pass through unobstructed.
It's not a bad idea to check over your hoses while you're there. Look on the ends for cracks, then give them a slow but firm squeeze and listen/feel for a subtle crackling. It takes concentration, but once you've felt it. you'll know how it feels for the rest of your life. Good hoses should just compress, bad ones will feel a bit weird. Check the hoses at the ends for swelling behind the clamps too. If any of these conditions exist, or your hoses are original, replace them. I swapped out my heater hoses too as they were the same age. The last thing you need is to get it all back together with shiny new parts and a pump that's putting out the proper pressure and flow only to have an old hose blow because it's been disturbed.
Replaced hoses, and thanks everyone. I now have the proper thermostat and gasket. Is RTV or gasket maker goop necessary when installing? What is the proper torque for the bolts?
Torque is 22 ft lbs per the factory manual. I put an RTV bead on mine, it's held dry so far.
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