water pump alternative designs

[Lincoln62]

My standard pump was rebuilt (by me, $15 kit) 13 years and 15,000 miles ago and it is still going fine. I figure that when the pump does go it will be time to pull the engine, check the head and put in new gaskets and seals.

It would be different if I was doing 20,000 miles a year and it was my only car. I'd go for the cassette for sure.

Pete

[billwill]

In my experience water pumps last only 15-20,000 miles.

My most recent water seal failure, and I do have it in a 'cassette', was not really spotted in time, I didn't diagnose the busted seal, and had mystery looss of coolant. Damn stupid of me. I kept running the car for several months filling it with water before trips and in mid trip if it was long.

I ran so much without head coolant that I warped the head, split one combustion chamber and two others went porous.

It has cost me over ?2000 to get my head refurbed and resin sealed, all for the cost of a ?30 water pump kit...

Best emergency treatment in my opinion, if water starts leaking from the drain hole in the pump boss is to seal up the hole with araldite. The bearing seals will last long enough to get a new pump kit fitted. Clear the tell-tale hole when you fit a new pump kit.