97 v70 2.5L 20 valve water pump issue

Hi...i've just had the head done and the timing belt changed by a
local garage. i brought the car home and done less than 150 miles and
found the car was losing water badly. It never lost any water before
the work was done. I took the car back to the garage and they said the
water pump is leaking and needs replacing. They reckon they saw no
signs of leakage when the timing belt was changed and it's just bad
luck. Does anyone know if changing the timing belt would involve
disturbing or causing the water pump to go like that?
Thanks....Spike

 

If the pump was marginal, then just having a tight new timing belt
driving it could have been too much for it. Unless the car is very low
mileage when the timing belt is replaced, it's a good idea to have the
water pump changed as well. Not much consolation now, I know. It's not
impossible that they could have done something to the pump, but again,
unless it had few miles on it, it was probably just worn.

 

thanks for the quick response. guess i'll have to pay the $500 and get
it done :0(

 

Not necessarily.

WHERE is the pump leaking?

If it is leaking from inside the pump itselt, then yeah, you need a
new pump.

But that may not be what happened; the mechanic who reinstalled the
old pump may not have properly sealed it, causing it to leak at the
seal, and that would be HIS fault, not yours.

Maybe he didn't press upward on the pump correctly while tightening
it; this would cause a leak as you describe at the top O-ring seal.

Or maybe the rear O-ring at the metal tube is crooked and not sealing
correctly, causing coolant to leak at the rear, where the tube joins
the body of the water pump.

Go out and LOOK closely at the pump, while the car is running and when
it is off, and verify where it is leaking from.

If as I suspect it is from a seal, then the shop MUST repair it for
free.

If you don't feel competent to examine it, as a friend who is, or take
it to another shop for a second opinion.

I would hate for you to have to pay $500 to fix a problem which the
shop caused, but this kind of stuff goes on all the time.

 

Oops, I was thinking of the pump on the 240 - 940 series, I am not
familiar with your engine.

Maybe the same or similar design, not sure.

But yeah, make sure it isn't leaking where it hooks up to the engine /
cylinder head.

 

Possibly so, or from the pump sitting dry for a period.

Tough luck I'm afraid..

Tim..

 

Hi,

My mech has replaced the water pump everytime the timing belt is
replaced. Is that an overkill? Besides it costs only approx USD 100 in
Malaysia.

Prithvy

 

It's not overkill if the engine is the "interference" type - if a
broken timing belt can destroy the engine. A water pump breaking can
throw off or break the timing belt, so...

 

Thank you for the reassurance...