Waterpump 2nd in 12months - Shaft failure and vibrating noise on both times.

[vxcalais_01]

3 - 4 months ago i changed out a noisy vibrating like crazy Waterpump on my vx v6. Now i installed a GMB one thinking it would be better than the Repco one but some months on starting to get noisy again. It comes when i slow down the car it vibrates and makes a noise. At one stage i thought it was the balancer but it was the waterpump. Its starting up again, is there any reason that is could be failing like this ?

Thanks

[acarmody]

I'm stretching my imagination here, but if you had a blockage or restriction in the coolant paths, like maybe radiator or something, it would impede the coolant flow and put stress on the shaft, since the belt will still be trying to spin the pump.

Or maybe just plain unlucky.

[timbodavo]

Yeh i tend to think you probably been real unlucky with couple of dud parts. It does happen. Are all your hoses feeling hot? Radiator and heater hoses?

[Cúl-Báire]

Belt tension?.. Just putting it out there!

[vxcalais_01]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah hoses are hot, system was cleaned last time i did the pump 4 months ago. I will try a new belt and 1/2 a bottle bars to lube the pump. These motors you cant adjust the tension can you ? I still have warranty on the pump but i will take it off and fit one from the wreckers if i have to to see how it goes as i dont trust the ebay $30 ones. I just dont want to keep changing pumps. Bad luck, but GMB are meant to be the best.

[ephect]

either your unlucky or there is something else majorily wrong.

for me i would check the orientation of the belt, make sure all pulleys are straight and not trying to pull one side of the waterpump. it might be pulling it on an angle wearing the shaft, the next thing i would check is the 2 idler pullies and tensioner assembly. make sure its straight and the tensioner should sit in the middle of its movement range.

as acarmody mentioned you may have a restriction in the cooling system, but i would assume that it would also effect its running temp also

[wortus]

What coolant are you running in the car? If you use the genuine coolant or similar t needs pellets otherwise I think it is a bit hard ont he seals and water has probably got into the bearing through the seal? I always use the JNulon Long Life Coolant from their web site it is not as harsh on the seals and you don't nee the pellets. It also lasts a lot longer.
I put a GMB pmp into my VN and it was a much better design. It had a machined impeller and was made in Japan. I wouldn't be using a cheap one from e-bay. Water getting into the bearing is the only thing that could fail a bearing in that short of a time if the belt tension was wrong then you'd expect the other pulley bearings, alternator etc to be stuffed as well. I'd also suggest the pulley on the tensioner and possibly the 2 either side of it would have the most load on it out of all of them.

[vxcalais_01]

Thanks for that. Just picked up from wreckers a nearly new gmp pump with the pulley incase its not striaght for $35. I will fit that and change over my 4 months pump under warranty. I put a new belt on as well and it helped somewhat, pump noise still there. I changed all pulleys last time except for pump, power steering, and air con. Idler seems fine. There is some slack in it though, but on the pulley change since the originals Holden updated a pulley to make it larger therefore to tighten things up. I have a pump go before the pulleys and now after new pulleys so i dont think its those.

Coolant i use is the repco coolant. I had added a pellet or 2 to it a while ago. The bars stop leak is exactly the same as the pellets just in some soluble oil and more. I poured in half a bottle yesterday and will pour in the rest when i change out this pulley. If this one goes, i will try a new coolant.