Good Reason To Check All Moving Parts Before Trip!

[zero]

We just completed a 4 day trip to Michigan from NY. I drove a 50 foot truck and trailer and my wife drove our 88 Minicruiser for the first time on a long trip, I followed behind and we communicated with two-way radios. Got 250 miles from home and she calls me on radio. Says the brake and charge light came on. I replied "what about the temp gauge." She replied "it's all the way over to the right." I yelled back "pull over." She was hesitant since we were on an Interstate highway and it wasn't easy finding a good pull over spot where we would all fit. She waited a minute or so and finally pulled to the side. Too late. We sat for half an hour and then I tried to start the engine and then pour in water. Still too hot to start. So I poured in water anyway - not a great thing to do with a non-running hot engine. Well - the water came out the water pump as fast as I poured it into the radiator. Water pump shaft had come completely out, fan hit the radiator, etc. Odd because I did a simple check on it recently and with the belt off - the shaft felt tight and bearing smooth running. Oh well. Normally I would never drive a high mile vehicle without knowing the non-lubed sealed parts were recent - e.g. the alternator and water pump bearings. A new water pump is only $35. In fact, I even had one with me. So we then called AAA. My wife is a member. They were absolutely useless. After over an hour a state cop stopped by us and was very helpful. He gave us a phone # of a tow service and repair shop that was only two miles away. So we called. The guy came and said he'd have to tow it with the wheels turning in back (not good for auto trans). Too high for a tilt-bed truck and too dangerous to get the driveshaft off on the side of the Interstate (I agreed).

Got it to the shop and the owner was very helpful. This was 3 PM. By 5 PM he got a new water-pump in it. Started it up and the water shot out of the radiator under high pressure. Head gasket BLOWN. So that was that. I tried to get the shop owner to hire me for a day to work on my own truck and I offered to pay him $90 per hour instead of him paying me. Nope. He said it was too complicated to do in NY. So we had to leave our Minicruiser behind and rent a van for $600. We could not stay any longer because the 50 foot truck would have $100 a day in late charges.

Now we are in Michigan. The Minicruiser is going to cost $1800 to fix. All that for a $35 water pump. Oh well. We also have to drive back 500 miles one-way, to get it when done. That's what I get for not just putting a new water-pump on it to start with as I usually do with any vehicle with an unknown service history. My one complaint is this. It gave no warning. Felt tight and smooth before the trip. Water-pumps on other makes usually die slowly with warning. Not like this.

[WME]

This sucks, but how else can you check a water pump?? Maybe a case for idiot light and gauge.

[whyverne14]

Chilling story! I hope everybody watches their temperature gauge as much as they watch their gas gauge. My Dolphin runs at 1/4 the way up. In traffic it might get up half way. At that point, I'm getting nervous already. If it went to 3/4 I'd be looking for a place to pull over. After doing the usual tricks of running the heater and racing it a bit in neutral. If I inconvenience myself or others, well that's just too bad. Don't destroy your engine over a broken hose or water pump.

[Odyssey 4x4]

Every component of my engine and water coolant system were brand new and i reached 3/4 climbing mountains and on hot hot days (107'+).

[5Toyota]

I have seen that but never on a Toyota I have had two Toyota waterpumps freeze up solid and a third almost so