Well yesterday I paid $402 to replace a seized water pump!

I'd just gotten off the highway about 40 miles from home when clanking and the smell of burning rubber clued me into the possibility that my water pump was gone. Temp gauge headed into the red before I managed to get it into a mall parking lot.

Opened the hood. Pump was seized, belt had burned off. Managed to loosen pump, but was rough turning, shaft with a lot of play. Put on spare belt. Clanking when engine started. Turned off, because didn't want to ruin spare belt if it seized again. Didn't figure I could drive the car far because if coolant not circulating, running interior heater wouldn't do much.

So went over to nearby car repair facility. was quoted $360 plus tax (CDN). Water pump was $65 (good price to me) but labour 3.3 hrs at $80. Didn't figure I had much choice.

After the water pump installation, the service manager appeared to be trying to milk me for more (new thermo, belts, maybe rad etc.) and abused my car while trying to prove it (ran the car for over 1/2 hr maybe over an hour at around 1500+ rpm, sometimes engine was screaming). Telling me my thermo was defective because the upper rad hose was hot. Telling me my rad was plugged because the lower hose was cool compared to the upper hose. Telling me the temp in the overflow bottle should be 150 degrees (not 90-100). Continually squeezing the upper and lower hoses "to bleed the system" (hopefully all that squeezing didn't weaken them), Etc. This was even though the temp gauge in the car read steady at halfway through all this. (The mechanic indicated that he felt everything was fine but that "he's the boss")

So, how far would I have been able to go with a seized waterpump without causing damage?
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

My friend once drove his dad's 65 El Camino after the water pump stopped working and within about 1 mile the engine was basically destroyed.
--
Thanks to everyone for the help, Doug C. 81 242 Brick Off Blocks, stock, M46; 86 240, 133k

Well, I guess general consensus is I did the right thing by not trying to drive any further.

That day seemed to be a series of inconveniences. Every once in awhile I have these streaks of bad luck. Hopefully this one is over ... soon?
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

My experience in the past tells me that you might have made it about 1/2 mile before the engine temperature gauge was in the red.
--
john

I have run my motor for short periods with no radiator to test stuff after I'd reassembled the engine. With no coolant it reaches normal running temp in under a minute. Anything more than that and it gets too hot. You wouldn't have got very far.

You may have been overcharged a bit, I don't know the US prices, but you got your car home without damaging it and the problem was solved straight away. If you had bought a new pump and installed at home, you would have still had to arrange towing. A waterpump swap mightent be too difficult in your garage, but it's not a roadside repair.
--
Drive it like you hate it

I think you probably did the right thing under the circumstances but the
guy was indeed trying to milk you for more. You would not have gotten
far without doing some really serious damage. Those aluminum heads with
cams in them expand at a different rate than the cast iron block and
to make it worse are not as rigid so you can buckle the head between the
headbolts and also seize up the cam bearings, both of which you do NOT want
to do. The one thing that saved you was that the head was full of water
and the last place to go dry is where it is the hottest. A little bit of
water boiling off makes a LOT of steam!

Your overflow tank SHOULD be cool unless it is indeed overflowing!
The lower hose SHOULD be cooler than the upper hose (but not cold)
The upper hose should stay cool for a while and then suddenly get hot
when the thermostat opens.
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

"Your overflow tank SHOULD be cool unless it is indeed overflowing!... (etc.)"

Yep, I know. But this service manager claimed that he had worked for Volvo. And was insistent that he couldn't let me back on the road until he had got the temp in the overflow up to 150 degrees. Even though I was insisting "I want my car back".

Anyhow, for those in the Toronto area, avoid the "Goodyear Certified Auto Service Centre" at the "No Frills" plaza at Kingston Rd. and Morningside in Scarborough. (Service manager Jason Robinson.) Unless, of course you are desperate to be scammed.

I'm waiting till Isabel goes away so that I can go outside and reset my idle. To keep the engine reving that high, they went and adjusted the carb at three possible places leaving me with a rough idle after they were done and a near empty tank.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

Actually you could have replaced the pump in under an hour if you are familiar with them, but that is said with hindsight, and you need the tools with you.
Just check that it was fitted properly - this involves levering the pump upwards to compress the O-ring. If this wasn't done the rubber can soften with heat or oil seapage and suddenly blow out.

You did what you needed to do. Without coolant circulating, you could not go anywhere. $402 CDN is a little high but not outright robbery. Squeezing the hoses is a legit way to get the air out of the system.

As far as the rest goes, The upper hose should be cool until the thermostat opens, and then get hot quickly. I suspect the engine did not have the time to completely cool off and the thermo opened really quickly. If the temp comes up quickly despite outside temp and stays where it's supposed to, the thermo is ok. The lower hose SHOULD be cooler than the upper. That's what the radiator is there for. Hmmm. It's a shame these things happen so often with big franchise places. I tend to be a little too trusting and generally chalk it up to ignorance and not criminal intent. Neither is good.

Skip
'93 850GLT
'83 242TI Flathood

Hate you got stuck, but if you had driven further, you would have warped heads or worse to contend with. Sounds like you did what you had to, though certainly the garage took advantage of your despirate situation!