Labow

I had a head gasket blow on my 3vze, and I'm in the middle of the project. I've had several people tell me that I should replace my water pump and oil pump while I have everything taken apart. But the project hasn't been cheap, and I'm not one to just replace something that isn't broken. Is there any way to inspect the water pump and oil pump to tell if they need to be replaced? I've only had the truck for about a year and a half, so I'm not sure how old they are.

dynomatt27

I understand the need to save money,but are u really willing to risk all that Uv invested on used parts with unknown miles? These are 2 very critical components. The water pump shud feel smooth wen rotated by hand,should show no signs of leaks at weaphole. And shud not have excessive lateral movment (in and out )on the pulley, and should have absolutely no movement up and down on pulley. The oil pump can measured with feeler gauge,and don't forget to prime it. Vasoline always worked well on 22r 's iv built. Good luck!

millball

I'd probably replace the water pump, just because. BUT, if you don't get a high quality Japanese made part, you may be shooting yourself in the foot.

As for the oil pump, if the engine is not sludged up and has had regular oil changes, I'd leave it alone. They don't wear much unless there are grit and contaminants carried in the lube oil.

Might wanna change out the front main seal though.

gsp4life

When I replaced my water pump, I found a made in Japan unit on eBay for $30 shipped that was listed as "oem brand". I assumed it would be a NOS Aisin pump (the ones we can get are US-made nowadays and get so-so reviews). It turned out to be an NPW which is a very good copy of the old Aisin pumps and has a very smooth bearing. I later learned it's the same pump that 22reperformance uses on their builds and they agree that it's better than the current Aisin pumps.

Labow

I checked the water pump, and nothing at the weep hole, no movement at all in/out or lateral, and spins smooth. Seems pretty solid, but the water pump is only about $30-40, so maybe I'll just change it.
Dyno, can you explain how to check the oil pump with a feeler gauge? and how to prime it?
GSP, thanks for the note. If I was going to replace the water pump I was looking at Aisin because everyone says those are the best, but I guess now that they're made here the quality has dropped. I'll check out NPW.