Roy

1st off it took me a while to finally get registered. I lurked for a while reading all the posts. I came here really because my 2002 Tacoma Prerunner with the 3.4L V6 sprang a leak at the water pump with only 33,978 miles on it. I was looking for info related to the pump when I ended up here. Nice site! very informative. Since this is my 1st EVER problem with my truck I have had no reason to search out any info related to it.

I'll cut to the story, I use my truck alot, I tow a 5x8 enclosed trailer loaded with a GSXR-600 racebike, 125 pitbike & all the necessary items needed to race. My truck is equiped stock with the 3500 lb. tow rating Orange clutch fan shaft. I added the TRD Transmission cooler when the truck was new. I have maintained it very well. At 30k I changed the coolant with Toyota coolant using distilled water. Changed the plugs, air filter, rear end oil, tranny oil & motor oil & filter. At 33,978 I was changing the oil & filter when I noticed a dried pink substance on the tranny bell housing. I followed the pink line back up to the front of the engine at the oil pan area which usually indicated Water pump gone bad. Since the truck is still under warranty I took it in to the local dealer where I bought the truck. Service manager was very helpful & so was the mechanic. Mechanic removed skid plate & deteremined it was the pump but not the seal that was leaking but the sealant between pump housing & block.

Manager told me it needed to be replaced I said do it! Toyota replaced my pump, timing belt, coolant & thermostat all in one day under warranty! I checked on the towing package clutch fan & they had one in stock so I bought it & the mechanic installed it free of charge since he already had to remove the fan anyway. Towing fan is the green shaft fan & bumps the truck up to 5000 lbs. Not that you really would want to tow that much but at least it'll stay cool if you do. My gross towing is about 2100 pounds tops & I run in drive OD off cruise set at 70 mph & don't worry about much. I average 13 mpg towing which is not to bad. I never have to worry about a speeding ticket at 70 mph Engine is turning about 3300 rpm's but they tell me that it won't hurt it, I believe them since I have been doing it for 33,000 miles & almost 2 years.

I owned a Tundra before my Taco, it was a good truck! I put 45k on it & only had the front rotors warp. I just like the look of the Taco better & for a everyday driver the Taco is hard to beat.

Even with my 1st problem with my Taco I have not lost faith in Toyota. They are a good company & make fine vehicles. I plan on wearing the Taco out. I have a friend who drives Nissan & he has had alot more troubles than I have, 10 times more! Don't forget the value of a Toyota, can't get that in any other brand I know my wife drives a Mazda Miata that cost $27k new & is only worth about $16k maybe if your lucky & it is a 2002 model. Took a beating on that car..........It has not been reliable either.

Sorry for the long winded speech just wanted to share my pleasant repair experience with Toyota. They never once tried to cover up the fact that the 3.4L V6 does have a water pump issue at low mileage. They just fixed it!

BTW I road race in WERA Southeast, Mid-Central regions in 600cc expert class. Thats me in the avatar at Talladega Gran Prix track.

happy motoring

Ken

Welcome to the forum Roy! Sounds like you found a diamond-in-the-rough dealer there.

I had my water pump go bad as well, and also fortunately before the 36K warranty was over. Did the timing belt at the same time as well.

Roy

This dealer told me the pump was warrantied till 60k anyway so I was not to worried. I thought it was 36k but if he says so.

Horseshoeing

Thats Toyota for you . They are good about things like that. Back in 93 they repainted a truck for me . They just did it. Not to bad mouth toyota, but why not get a dodge diesel? Your fuel milage will be about 19mpg. When you go up a hill , you will not slow down. and if you wanted to get a big trailer , you could. It also is hard to over heat and will last forever. If you only pull your trailer 5 times a year, may your toyota is better, but if you do it all of the time..... Don't get my wrong, I like toyotas, but nothing is the best at everything.

Roy

I race about 9~10 weekends a year. As a daily driver the Taco gets 20 mpg in town. I like the smaller truck, easy to park, spunky motor & my wife can drive it. Big truck would be okay but my current setup does everything I need it to do. All my goodies fit in my trailer & the trailer pulls very good. A few mpg more on my trips would not make up for the lack of fuel mileage as a daily driver. Diesels drive me nuts just listening to them run no way could I live with that plus the Taco fits in the garage with the car & all 4 of my motorcycles. Towing is not what killed my water pump, a somewhat poor design did that. The pump should have a gasket instead of just sealant mounting it to the engine, more like the Tundra design. If this is all that ever happens to it I can live with that. I once owned a GMC, I'll just leave it at that.

Gadget

Tell me more about this towing package fan clutch. Something does not sound right to me on that.

Gadget

Roy

I know it is confusing but the skinny is orange shaft 3500# rating green shaft 5000# rating. That is a tow rating plus you & your items in your truck. In short your Gross towing. Manual says 6000# but that is a mis-print. Fan cost about $135 retail I got mine for $123. It simply stays engaged more often & longer, more blower noise is about it maybe less fuel mileage I don't know yet so I can't say for sure. Fan clutch is a Toyota part. Sales person who I bought my truck from told me the Taco's were rated at 5000# but when I got home I was reading the manual & discovered he was wrong & that my truck had the orange fan shaft. That was 2 years ago & the truck was towing fine without the fan upgrade it was just me wanting the additional cooling is the only reason I added it on sort of like the reason I added the TRD tranny cooler when it was new. The truck is a investment & I want to take care of it.

Check with your dealer about the clutch fan. Orange = 3500, Green = 5000.

rimpainter.com

Welcome Roy. I had the same thing happen on my 98 Taco LTD with the Water pump, but it was the seal. The dealer took care of everything.

You have a 5yr/60K powertrain warranty, which is what the dealer was talking about.

I am beginning to wonder if Toyota has some sort of faulty WP design. It seems like I am hearing more and more stories about Toy's "springing a leak" at the WP.

Interesting about the fan. I have never heard of that. And, if Gadget has never heard of that, it has to be some well kept Toyota secret.

Gadget

The fan clutch thing is new to me.

The water pump is bolted to the face of the engine block and is sealed with FIPG. It the FIPG was not properly applied at the time of engine assembly, you will get a leak there, but I would not consider it a design flaw, more of a installer error. Now if the seals on the shaft fail and coolant comes out of the weep hole then that is a different matter all together.

Gadget