Waterpump lockup-WTF!!!!

[shooff82]

Its ass-cold out this morning. I start the car to let it warm up to take the offspring to school before work. A squeal from the driveway lasts about 30 seconds. Then gone. Car still running. Go outside. Smoke from the hood, passenger side. Open the bonnet, everything is turning BUT the water pump. I slam the hood because i have been transported to a dimension of ****** off that i rarely visit. What a glorious way to start the day. Anyway, how often does SUDDEN waterpump failure happen? Ive never seen one just sieze up like that. Anyone?

 

[Ishodu]

Bearings can fail and do this. By any chance was it cold enough for the fluid to freeze?

 

[Whydah91]

Nope, never seen one seize up in 50 years of street/race cars. The Yamaha pumps are usually good to at least 100k. I replaced mine at 130k and it was just seeping slightly from the vent hole. Don't know if there are aftermarket pumps for the Yamaha, but I replaced with a OEM unit, they ain't cheap, and of course ya pull everything off the front of the engine to do the job.

 

[AREA 91]

I have never seen a sho water pump lock up, but there is alway's a first for everything.

 

[sperold]

The bearings usually make some noise before they go, and the nose will be loose and you will be able to rock it with your hand when the belt is off. That failure happened a lot more when the waterpump was spinning a solid 4 blade fan.
Take the belt off and see if it still spins by hand. Something is not right. The freeze theory gets my vote at this time.

 

[Ocnaj]

I slam the hood because i have been transported to a dimension of ****** off that i rarely visit.

Going in my sig haha. But anyway, I've never heard of a water pump locking up. I guess they usually start to leak before this type of failure can happen.

 

[copperpacecar]

mine didnt lock up but the bearings were so bad i could barely turn it by hand with full force...belt sure couldnt turn it

 

[SHOmethewayhome]

I saw my wife's SLO blow the damn packing right out of it last year. it was pretty spectacular.

 

[19sho90]

MY old 96 Taurus the idler pully froze. But ya was the coolant froze?

 

[MrRed]

where the **** have you all been? I've seen TONS of water pumps seize up. They use a bearing and a bearing WILL fail at some point, period.

edit: and make sure you buy the O ring that is on the back of the water pump, that will be bad when you remove it.