Water Pumps, Hydroboosts and Automobiles

[swebster]

It's a first for us. We had to leave the motorhome in OH on our way to CT from Louisville.

We left Monday afternoon at about 1:00. Somewhere outside of Columbus I noticed a strange vibration but at a fuel stop everything "looked" fine. Outside of Akron I heard a louder noise, pulled off at a rest stop and again - everything seemed normal. About a mile later I heard a high pitched whine (metal on metal) squeeling belts and a pop, the gauges showed a drop in voltage and a slow rise in water temp....must have thrown a belt.

Pulled off into BP and dumped a lot of coolant everywhere. Obviously not just a belt. Pulled the doghouse, saw the serpentine belt wrapped around everything and the fan sitting at a funny angle. Seems as if we broke the shaft on the water pump.

We decided to pack it in for the night so Suzanne made dinner and got the kids into bed while I removed the brackets and the old pump. The next morning I was at AutoZone at 6:50 waiting for them to open so I could be a new pump. Got the new pump and five hours later everything was re-installed.

I thought in a few minutes we'll test fire it and we'll be off. But when I was tensioning the belt for the hydroboost pump I push a little too hard with a large screw driver that is normally perfect for belt tensioning and I poked a hole in the side of the pump. After the alloted 20 minutes of swearing I started calling around for a replacement. Turns out these things are hard to get. Three hours driving around in the toad visiting five part stores and no luck. Ended up coming back to the BP and made some temporary repairs to move it across the street to a storage yard (the owner let us park there for the week if we needed the time - very nice guy).

Finally was able to get a pump ordered from AutoZone but since it would not be in until Friday we decided to rent a car for the 6 hour drive to CT. Got here a few hours ago and immediately decided to party.

We're headed back on Saturday and the store manager should have a reman. pump for me, complete with the pulley and hoses switched over and ready to bolt in.

So here are the things I've learned:

1. Changing out a water pump from the top of an engine is a terrible process.
2. Just because you replaced a water pump two years ago as a preventative step does not necessarily improve reliability
3. Don't push on your hydroboost pump with a really big screwdriver.
4. Part guys are nice if you explain how you've managed to strand your family in a BP gas station on your way to a family holiday party.
5. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't fix everything.

I have mixed feelings about leaving the Airstream and the VW in Ohio while we wait for a part. On one hand I worry about it but on the other we needed to get out of there and hanging around waiting for a part would not have been the best marriage decision I could have made.

I know in the grand scheme of things it's just a $50 water pump and a $65 hydroboost pump - but man this one was a big mental bummer. In the past when things when wrong we could always coax her into making it the rest of the way. Leaving it behind felt terrible.

[Silvertwinkie]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. On the bright side, thank goodness you knew how to fix it and didn't spend several week waiting for someone else to figure it all out....let alone have the tools with you to do the job.

As for the alloted 20 minutes of swearing, that one made me grin as I too have spend several hours in 20 minute intervals doing the same thing with my repairs.

[jordandvm]

What a a bummer......I feel for you.....even tho i don't have a mh!

[overlander63]

Steven, I guess now is a little late to tell you not to pry on the reservoir. Most power steering pumps have a bracket with a 1/2" square hole for a 1/2" drive breaker bar to be inserted for tightening the belt. The ones that don't have a flattened area on the front of the pump, behind the pulley for a wrench to grab. Have fun at your party, and good luck on the install when you get back.

[axleman]

Steven,

That's a bummer pal!

Is this the vibration problem that you thought was in the drivetrain or something differnt? Just Curious.

Regards,
Henry

[swebster]

Thanks for the sympathy. It certainly was a trying experience, even with the tools and knowledge of having replaced the water pump once before. Doing it from the top of the engine instead of the front added about three hours to the job. Not fun.

Terry - saw the tab on the bracket once I removed the bad pump. It was just sitting there, mocking me. Now I know better for the re-install.

Henry - I don't know yet as I haven't been able to drive it more than a 1/4 mile at slow speed. It certainly crossed my mind and in a way it would be great if this turned out to be the mystery vibration.

[Foiled Again]

I've always enjoyed reading your posts, even though I'm a trailer person. I do hope this turns out to solve your mystery vibration, and I'm relieved that there isn't a "crate engine" discussion going with this thread. WHEW!

Hope you get it fixed and on the road again soon.

Tin Lizzie

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by swebster

saw the tab on the bracket once I removed the bad pump. It was just sitting there, mocking me.

Definately a good reason to add another 20 minute session in my book!

[swebster]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Definately a good reason to add another 20 minute session in my book!

I agree. I discovered that you can reach a maximum allowable level of anger. After you get there you just can't get any MORE ANGRY, rather you just continue your anger a little longer.

BTW - I would like to speak with the GM engineer who designed the bracket for the ps pump on the P30. He or she is obviously friendly with the engineer at Airstream who decided a simply pump replacement required at least two hours of shop labor to disconnect a belt, three hoses and three bolts. It had to have been planned as a labor rate generator for dealerships. No seriously - I want to talk to both of them.

[Silvertwinkie]

Reminds me of when I replaced the water pump on my 80 Olds....requires the whole front of the engine to be taken apart (powersteering, A/C, vaccum, etc). After the second replacement I was down to just under 5 hours when an Olds mechanic in the complex I was living in walked by as I vented my stress by jamming a pipe through my toasted radiator and told me if it took him more than an hour and a half, he'd turn in his tools......

I finished killing off my radiator as he walked away.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Reminds me of when I replaced the water pump on my 80 Olds....requires the whole front of the engine to be taken apart (powersteering, A/C, vaccum, etc). After the second replacement I was down to just under 5 hours when an Olds mechanic in the complex I was living in walked by as I vented my stress by jamming a pipe through my toasted radiator and told me if it took him more than an hour and a half, he'd turn in his tools......

I finished killing off my radiator as he walked away.

Of course, he didn't tell you about the short cuts that made that time possible. I would tell you, but then I would have to kill you...

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by swebster

BTW - I would like to speak with the GM engineer who designed the bracket for the ps pump on the P30. He or she is obviously friendly with the engineer at Airstream who decided a simply pump replacement required at least two hours of shop labor to disconnect a belt, three hoses and three bolts. It had to have been planned as a labor rate generator for dealerships. No seriously - I want to talk to both of them.

I was working for Ford at the time that bracket was designed.
(one of the few times I am glad I was...)

[swebster]

Hey - we made it home tonight. Three hours to install that %$#^ pump. I'll post more tomorrow.

[Chaplain Kent]

Steven, loved your story but sorry to hear your tale. Have you noticed how bleak Ohio looks this time of year?