Preventive Water Pump Change

[Mraw]

Hi all, I am looking for opinions on weather I should get the water pump changed preventively.  Car has 100k on it.  I plan on keeping it a long time.  What's the general consensus on this forum? 

 

Update:  forgot to add vehicle is a 2012 mkx 3.7 

Edited September 15, 2022 by Mraw

[DILLARD000]

Assuming you've got a 2012 MKX V6~3.5L~DOHC ?

If you can do it yourself & have another vehicle while this ones down;

I'd do it when these notorious internal WaterPumps hit 100k~125kMiles, knowing what I know now.

 

Have here a 2008 Edge V6~3.5L~DOHC at 160kMiles;

WaterPump just failed last week; wife was running errands around town in 90f heat;

warned her several times about this possibility, to immediately pull over & shutdown engine if+when it happens, which she did.

It blew coolant out WaterPump DualSeal WeepHole at FrontRight corner of engine block & OverHeated;

checked engine oil on DipStick & in FillCap looked clean without "MilkShake", pulled it home with tow strap behind truck.

Out of caution, changed Oil+Filter, then DeadCranked several times with gas pedal to floor.

to circulate fresh oil thru engine & mitigate any coolant~oil contamination that happened; still no appearance of MilkShake, so that's good..

Now ordering parts & preparing to pull Engin+Trans+FrontAxle+PTU.

Give it a full makeover with new

~ WaterPump, MetalImpeller instead of OE PlasticImpeller

~ OilPump, Melling With 20% More Pres+Flow

~ Timing Chains+Sprockets+Guides+Tensioners+Bolts

~ VVT Solenoids

~ CrankShaft Seals, Front+Rear

~ HarmonicBalancerPulley+Bolt

~ Alternator+AC BeltTensioner

~ Alternator+AC Belt

~ PowerSteering Belt

~ ValveCover GasketKit

~ WaterPump ExtensionTube+Seals

~ IntakeManifold Gaskets

~ Plugs + PCVValve + OxSensors + Hoses + ThermoStat + FanColtroller are <1yr old, so will inspect & reinstall

~ Trans TSS+OSS Sensors & InternalFilterPlate

~ Trans MerconV ATF Change, AmsOil

~  Radiator

~ Left+Right CV Axles

~ PTU With Improved Bearings, Reinstall BottomFumotoDrainValve+TopBreatherHose+SideFillHose+UnderHoodFillCan AddOns\Mods

~ PTU GearOil Change, Half 75w150.FullSyn + Half SAE250.FullSyn, AmsOil

~ BallJoints + TieRods + Shocks

~ Brake Rotors+Pads

~ Renew PowerSteering MerconV

~ Evac+Charge AC System

 

Estimating this will be $1500~$2000 in parts & a couple of weeks of my labor.

Edited September 15, 2022 by DILLARD000

[Mraw]

6 hours ago, DILLARD000 said:

Assuming you've got a 2012 MKX V6~3.5L~DOHC ?

If you can do it yourself & have another vehicle while this ones down;

I'd do it when these notorious internal WaterPumps hit 100k~125kMiles, knowing what I know now.

 

Have here a 2008 Edge V6~3.5L~DOHC at 160kMiles;

WaterPump just failed last week; wife was running errands around town in 90f heat;

warned her several times about this possibility, to immediately pull over & shutdown engine if+when it happens, which she did.

It blew coolant out WaterPump DualSeal WeepHole at FrontRight corner of engine block & OverHeated;

checked engine oil on DipStick & in FillCap looked clean without "MilkShake", pulled it home with tow strap behind truck.

Out of caution, changed Oil+Filter, then DeadCranked several times with gas pedal to floor.

to circulate fresh oil thru engine & mitigate any coolant~oil contamination that happened; still no appearance of MilkShake, so that's good..

Now ordering parts & preparing to pull Engin+Trans+FrontAxle+PTU.

Give it a full makeover with new

~ WaterPump, MetalImpeller instead of OE PlasticImpeller

~ OilPump, Melling With 20% More Pres+Flow

~ Timing Chains+Sprockets+Guides+Tensioners+Bolts

~ VVT Solenoids

~ CrankShaft Seals, Front+Rear

~ HarmonicBalancerPulley+Bolt

~ Alternator+AC BeltTensioner

~ Alternator+AC Belt

~ PowerSteering Belt

~ ValveCover GasketKit

~ WaterPump ExtensionTube+Seals

~ IntakeManifold Gaskets

~ Plugs + PCVValve + OxSensors + Hoses + ThermoStat + FanColtroller are <1yr old, so will inspect & reinstall

~ Trans TSS+OSS Sensors & InternalFilterPlate

~ Trans MerconV ATF Change, AmsOil

~  Radiator

~ Left+Right CV Axles

~ PTU With Improved Bearings, Reinstall BottomFumotoDrainValve+TopBreatherHose+SideFillHose+UnderHoodFillCan AddOns\Mods

~ PTU GearOil Change, Half 75w150.FullSyn + Half SAE250.FullSyn, AmsOil

~ BallJoints + TieRods + Shocks

~ Brake Rotors+Pads

~ Renew PowerSteering MerconV

~ Evac+Charge AC System

 

Estimating this will be $1500~$2000 in parts & a couple of weeks of my labor.

Thanks for the reply.  I would not feel comfortable taking this on my self.  When the pumps fails catastrophically are there any warnings signs besides an overheat?  Would you notice the coolant temp slowly rise or would it be a sudden overheat?  

[DILLARD000]

12 hours ago, Mraw said:

Thanks for the reply.  I would not feel comfortable taking this on my self.  When the pumps fails catastrophically are there any warnings signs besides an overheat?  Would you notice the coolant temp slowly rise or would it be a sudden overheat?  

In my case, the pump failed catastrophicly, overheating only a few minutes before wife got it parked in a safe spot & shut down.

Have read reports of Coolant "Weeping" slowly or occasionaly from WaterPump WeepHole; such would be a definite warning of pending failure, but not in my case.  I routinely check over the vehicles weekly & this car has never previosuly used\lost either coolant or oil.

Once I get old WaterPump removed, I expect to find a failed PumpShaftBearing or failed\worndown PlasticImpeller or both, along with the failed Gasket\Seal.

Wife mostly drives this car; when I'm driving this car, I use an OBD2~BlueTooth module & SmartPhone app to monitor Temps & other items;

this displays more precise temperatures & will show overheating much quicker than the simple slow responding InstrumentCluster gauge.

Had an overheat experience a couple of years ago when radiator fan controller stopped working; another NotoriousFailureItem\NFI on these 3.5L engines.

Hope you have a trustworthy mechanic; too many bad reports out there on both dealership & independent shops.

 

Edited September 16, 2022 by DILLARD000

[handfiler]

I would upgrade the coolant to the latest specification and continue to drive it without worrying about it.

[DILLARD000]

 

5 hours ago, handfiler said:

I would upgrade the coolant to the latest specification and continue to drive it without worrying about it.

Ditto.  Worrying about it is a bit pointless, but certainly be aware of this notorious internal pump design & its history.

I do drain+renew engine Oil+Filter every 5kMiles\6Months with 5w20.FullSyn, & Coolant+ThermoStat every 33kMiles\4Years.

OwnersGuide Specification#wss-m97b51-a1 for Coolant\AntiFreeze is Gold\Yellow color Ford#vc-7dil;

the Gold\Yellow compared to traditional Green has additional CorrosionInhibitors+Lubricants that are beneficial.
Products below satisfy these Specs; compare SafetyDataSheet Ingredients for any other Coolant.

~ FordByValvoline# vc-7dil                              
 ~ Peak#pkpb53\10x                                      
 ~ ZerexByValvoline#zxg05ru1
These are HybridOrganicAcidTech\HOAT formulas, do not contain 2EthylHexAcid\2EHA & may be mixed;
other Coolants containing 2EHA may damage seals in V6~3.5L~DOHC engines & should NOT be used\mixed.
Do NOT use\mix Blue\DarkGreen\LiteGreen\Orange\Pink\Red...

As optional prevention, can add ATP#at205 to Oil & KSeal to Coolant; how much this helps\hurts is debatable.

 

 

Edited September 16, 2022 by DILLARD000

[DILLARD000]

As a reference, pic below is this notorious TimingChainDriven WaterPump

showing dual Gaskets\Seals & WeepHoles; long one on lower side of flange & smaller one on upper side of flange.

FactoryOE pump has a PlasticImpeller; AfterMarket versions are available with MetalImpeller.

[Cerberus]

ACDelco (among others possibly) makes a metal impeller version, which i used when i did the job on my 2011 fusion sport.

 

Personally I would say better to err on the side of caution and do the pump, chains guides and tensioners now

 

if not, make sure you keep an eye on the weep hole, directly behind the A/C compressor in my case.

Any change in color in immediate proximity to the weep hole means the seal is on its way, and even that may not give you enough warning as I have heard of failures with no weep hole warning

 

to be fair, the laundry list of things that DILLARD is doing is beyond excessive for your specific concern

 

also, don't waste your time trying to rejuvenate the seal on the water pump. It is a bearing failure that causes the failure of the pump seal. I found a youtube video where someone used a water jet to cut multiple pumps down the shaft and sleeve bearings were all galled, no way they were going to continue to work, period.

Edited September 16, 2022 by Cerberus

[Haz]

Forum member Bill Trammell offers many useful water pump videos on his MACT Ford Edge YouTube channel.

 

Good luck!

 

Edited September 16, 2022 by Haz

[Jofo17]

When a Ford dealer replaces the water pump on a 3.5 do they only replace the pump or do they replace the chain and guides while they are in there? Is there a mandate from Ford or is it up to the dealer or mechanic as to what all is replaced?  

[Ruth]

My engine was overheating, I had vehicle towed to dealership.  I was informed water pump is leaking coolant into engine therefore I need a replacement engine alongside water pump.  Have anyone heard of this problem?

[dabangsta]

It is of the more less frequent failure modes for the 3.5, but it can happen. Usually they leak through a couple of ports to the ground and you can at least replace the water pump before it fails in a way that fills the crankcase full of coolant. Did you check the oil to see if it had coolant in it (milk shake instead of oil)? The cost of labor for the replacement of just the water pump (and timing gear since most of the labor gets you there) is pretty costly.