Well, Its about time for me to replace my timing belt.
I've heard that on some vehicles you should replace the Water pump when you replace the belt, just as preventative maintenance, so you wont have to do it later.
So, should I replace it too, or are they good on the 3.4 for a long time?

 

What's your mileage? is it 2nd time around?

Nam

 

Mine was replaced under warrenty when I had my timing belt done at 60K. The dealership said that it was leaking.

 

About 90k miles.
1st change.

 

If you search back through this topic, you'll find varied oppinions. Personally, when the front part of the engine is torn down - I'd recommend the following

Timing Belt
Water Pump
Thermostat
Cam Seals X2
Main Crank Seal
Consider Oil Cooler Hoses - a real pain to get to!!!
New Coolant Hoses

Best of Luck
Andrew

 

for the first time around, it's just your personal opinion and observation. I would inspect the pump, make sure there is no potential for leak, the bearing rotates smoothly, and the shaft is not wiggled. I think you don't need to remove the timming belt to replace the water pump...so I would do it when it's bad. How much does it cost for OEM part anyway?

Nam

 

Im not sure on OEM, but Taylor Automotive has one for $60 (NPC), and one for $90 (ASCO/Aisin).

 

New OEM water pump on-line (ie concelli parts) runs $90. Labor cost to replace on it's own $250-$300. I'd go with the $100 insurance. Just my $0.02.

Andrew

 

FWIW: When I had my timing belt done at 66K, I had the shop foreman at Toyota inspect the water pump. I was ready to pay for the WP and everything. Surprisingly the dealership was honest and called me and told me everything was fine and there was absolutely no need to do the pump other than piece of mind. I chose not to do it.

The good news about water pumps is that they rarely fail abruptly - if ever. The 5VZ is known for leaking from the outer seal, so if that is not leaking and the pump is not weeping, then you could hold off.

What are the future plans for the rig? Keeping it forever, driving it hard, taking it on a trip down the Baja Penninsula...? That is how I would gauge my decision, that and how much they wanted to shaft me by.

 

As Christian mentioned, the waterpumps rarely do fail catastrophicly. I have done waterpumps and even had the new one fail shortly there after (very rare, but it happens) or if the surfaces are not prepped and sealed correctly you can have leaking from there as well. I would inspect the pump for wear and play in the rotating parts.....if all seems tight and no signs of leaking, then I would just leave it in there. The water pump I believe can be changed without removing the balancer and lower timing cover so it is not as bad as doing a complete timing belt. Also be sure to change your coolant often (I prefer the red coolant for better pump life) which will ensure the pump continues to be lubricated properly during engine operation.