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How long does your water pump last?

5K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  tcnofh1 
#1 ·
How often do you need to change the water pump?
Mine usually starts leaking @ around 100k miles.

The current pump has about 100K on it, and I need to drive to Miami & back this Summer.
(600 miles round trip @ 99 degrees)

Thinking about just changing it for “preventative maintenance”.
It’s an easy job, now that I have the giant wrenches.

both_wrenches copy

The engine in mine requires the “Purple” coolant, I change it every year.

Found out the International T444E water pump is identical to the Ford, but 1/2 the price. (Riffraff)
 
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#2 ·
If you change the antifreexe every year I wouldn't worry about the water pump. Antifreeze has conditioners in it for the seals on the pump. If you are concerned about the pump it would be a no brainier to change it at home. I would just give it a good looking over before doing all that work.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Your 2000 E350 with 7.3 PSD has more coolant options than the Prestone Coolant you linked to above.

Do you happen to have P/Ns of the waterpumps you are swapping out?
 
#4 · (Edited)
To clarify my post above, that coolant can be used in your 7.3 but its not the only type of coolant approved for your 7.3. (Your van came from the factory with Ford Gold Coolant for reference).

Since you choose to replace coolant every year then “some” of the advantages of superior coolant options aren’t really necessary but their lack of silicate would benefit your water pump. If you ever decide to extend your change intervals to “never” then the forum members can point you towards some newer technology coolants:

Here is the PDS on the “purple” coolant you linked to above:

 
#5 ·
I think my van had the purple coolant as delivered, and that is what the dealer put in it for the first water pump change.
It has been too many years for me to recall the details, but there was a “Smoky something” little secrets tips section that pointed out that the engine number on my van required a coolant that did not attack the gaskets and seals, the purple stuff was it.

From the Riffraff site: 7.3 Motorcraft F81Z8501FA, International RDP-8501 water pumps are the same, but the International costs much less.
 
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#6 ·
Thankyou for the details.
 
#7 ·
Water pumps are strange animals.

My first one started to leak at around 120,000. The second one that was a rebuilt one started to leak less than 10,000 later. My third a factory new pump is still going strong after 50,000.

The forum that you wanted to find was Larry's Little Secretes. It disappeared on this last forum upgrade. We have been trying to get a lot of the information back but at times it seams like it will never happen and then the administrators will dangle a carrot in front of our noses and give us a little bit of hope. But I'm not holding my breath in getting anything back.
 
#8 · (Edited)
BTW, Larry's little secrets is still here: New Little Secrets. Unfortunately many of the links (even to local threads) got broken during software upgrades and archive changes. I tried updating some of them, but it was a ton of work to do the ones that I did get to (having to search on keywords in the link titles to find the correct reference). And then another software change broke a lot of the ones I fixed. :(

If I had a van, and was worried about the water pump lasting for a long trip, I would change it out at home. I once changed out a failed fan clutch on a GM motorhome on the road in Colorado, which was bad enough. I'd hate to try that with a water pump thru the keyhole that's the hood on a van. But then again, unless it was showing symptoms (as in loose bearing), chances are it would last the trip.
 
#9 ·
Thanks Kevin. I had the link to the old one but when we lost it one time I deleted it. I now have it bookmarked again.
 
#10 ·
How long will a water pump last, there is no finite answer. But there are known ways to extend a pumps life to maximum. With a new engine as soon as you can flush the system and get the casting mould sand that remains in the system out, yep its in there and it acts like harsh liquid lapping compound. Replace the steel thermostat cover with an aluminum one. Install a coolant filter, even after system flushing you will plug a few filter elements rather quickly until the system cleans up. Then when clean just change it anually. Its as simple as keeping the system clean and using quality coolant. One should get multiples more than 100 K out of a stock filter.
 
#11 ·
I know we've got a bit of an older thread here, but I'm surprised it's that often for some of you. I've never had to do it on any vehicle I've owned, in almost 20 years of driving, and who the hell knows how many miles (I'm sure I hit a million a long time ago). I changed the water pump in my '01 last summer, after it started leaking. I did the fan clutch at the time as well, and now this year have put in an all aluminum radiator and coolant expansion tank, along with a Riff Raff filter. The rad was good but the neck where the upper hose goes on was soft and brittle and broke while I was doing some other work at one point, so I went for the solid replacement.

Oh yeah, how old were the components? Well, they were all 2001. The stamp on all of them matched the truck's build date. My truck hit 300,000 miles shortly after. Every single last piece in there, all factory. Pretty much everything I've changed on it that has worn out has made it 20 years. Mine's not even the nicest cleanest, most trouble free old truck, not by a long shot. I grew up with Honda's and Toyota's and had a dim view of domestics until I got into diesels, but that's incredible longevity.
 
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#12 ·
I have 250,000 miles on my truck, and I have only changed the water pump once. I used Gooch's method to flush out the old coolant and replaced it with Shell Rotella Ultra elc that I purchased at NAPA. Apparently, the Shell Rotella Ultra elc has been replaced by Shell Rotella Nitrite Free elc, but you may still be able to find some Shell Rotella Ultra elc around. Be sure to get the concentrate, not the 50/50 mix.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SHR550024730
 
#13 ·
Update:
The International RDP-8501 water pump lasted 23k miles before leaking, so I'm going back to installing a 7.3 Motorcraft F81Z8501FA this time.
All of the Motorcraft pumps lasted longer than 23k!

99k out of the original pump (replaced under warranty!)
104k out of pump #2
65k out of pump #3
23k out of pump #4

At this rate, I'll soon be putting in a new pump every month.........
 
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