water pumpand pullys

[qship96]

I am about to go on a long trip{1500 miles} with the 96Q- the waterpump and pullys are original at 171,000 miles and show no signs of failure that I can detect- my question is,will they give ample warning before replacement is needed,or are they a ticking time bomb that will suddenly fail,requiring a tow and interruption to travel?

[Flagship-Q]

No guarantees in anything with 170K and O.E. Sounds like a risk to me if not replaced.

[elwesso]

You can usually hear the pulleys start to fail... The pump will start to leak and then eventually make noise...

When the pulleys are going out, you will hear a very feint sort of whistling sound... You can also loosen the belt and spin the pulley and if its not perfectly smooth (notchy) you should consider replacing it..... Very rarely do this fail without warning, its just if the owner chooses to notice these warning signs.

[qship96]

so,do most owners wait for pump and pullys to give warning signs,or replace while parts still seem ok? my tech looked at me like I was crazy,wanting to replace functioning parts.

[PopPop]

I would worry about belts more than your WP or pulleys! Flush coolant system and replace belts only if needed and adjust belts and check tensioners and pulleys! Always keep coolant, water, oil, trans. fluid, and your basic tools along with a good spare tire, flares, Etc.

[maxnix]

When you replace the belts, inspect the pulleys for excess play and roughness. Always have all 3 on hand when you replace the three belts simultaneously to save on repeated labor.

Difference is preventative maintenance vs. very expensive break downs.

[Q451990]

My experience with pullies is that they definately give a warning sign. The two that come to mind are a howling noise - especailly when cold. You'll think that a Ford power steering pump somehow found it's way into your engine bay. The other sign is a quick belt chirp at start-up or belt squealing at redline. I'll be honest... I drove Q1 for 10-15K miles with those issues. The howling only appeared at cold (45F or below) ambient temps. and went away after the car warmed up. Not smart I know, but that at least tells you that it's probably not going to be an instant failure...I finally replaced the pullies a few months ago when the wife started driving her. I can deal with something happening - with her once a car leaves her stranded she has "trust issues" for a long time.

Honestly I would just drive it... replace the belts, check for noise on the pullies, but don't replace anything unless a problem is indicated. If you have your OEM water pump at 170K I'd say your cooling system maintenence has been excellent!

Heath