Coolant Pump going...

[Loaf]

My 1998 has a scraping noise at idle. I crawled uner it today and the water pump feels loose. There is 1/8" or so of play, but the pulley bolts seem tight. There is small leak coming from the underside of the pump.
I had a new timing belt put in about 20,000 miles ago, and the mechanic did not replace the pump. I'll be doing the work myself this time, but it looks like I should remove the TB to access the water pump.
My question for now...
I need the car to commute to work. Can I let the leaky, loose water pump go for a while, or does this need immediate attention?

 

[dzlrunner]

Personally, i would take care of it ASAP. You don't really want the thing letting loose while you are wizzing down the road, and yes you do need to remove the TB to access the water pump. All in all it can be fairly easy as long as you have all the tools, I had to do mine 6 months ago, took me about and 1hr and a half.

 

[paramedick]

I had a new timing belt put in about 20,000 miles ago, and the mechanic did not replace the pump.

....and overtightened the v belt, causing the WP bearing to fail.

Do this ASAP. Not hard, just takes time. Yes, easiest with the TB removed.

 

[TonyJetta]

I agree, it is easier of the TB is removed. But, you don't have to remove the TB.

Personally, I always change the pump with the timing belt. Even though these are 60k belts, some people claim to only replace the pump with every other TB replacement.

Tony

 

[Abacus]

I used to do this, but after having 2 bad water pumps in a row, I now replace them when they need it.

If your WP fails, you could overheat the engine and warp the head, which is a lot more money.

Rent, borrow, or buy the proper tools and do the job yourself, it's pretty easy.

 

[Loaf]

Thanks for the advice. Got the new pump in today. Took most of the day. I did it without removing the TB, because it did not require any special tools. Getting the a/c pump and alternator back on the brackets was the biggest hassle, but not too bad. Dan's VW page has a sweet tutorial. http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed/Campingart/jettatech/t-belt/index.htm
That, a Bentley and more advice from my father-in-law (a VW mechanic in Rockford, IL), made it go pretty smooth. I'll start it up in the AM and let's hope it works.

 

[TonyJetta]

Glad to hear it went well.

Did you happen to refill with G12 coolant?

Tony

 

[Redlabel6]

I had the same thing happen to my Jetta, it also damaged the pump housing. I had a spare from my ABA Gasser, same pump.
Glad you are up and running again!