4x4Mike's 2007 4Runner

[4x4mike]

After getting home from dropping the 4Runner off I was able to PM toyotech and do some other research. Everything was pointing to the water pump and I guess if they don't weep they go pretty bad. At least the factory installed ones. It doesn't seem super common but the ones that do this go at about 90k (I'm at 92k) and their factory replacements last at least twice as long. That's good to know, I guess.

A call this morning from the shop confirmed the bad WP. Since they were in there they and I decided to have the timing belt, tensioner, tensioner adjuster damper and idler bearings replaced as they were or would be due very soon. I also had them do the drive belt, belt tensioner, pulleys, thermostat and gasket. Time and resource wise I couldn't pull this off by myself. It was stuff on my to do list but half of it still required research and parts gathering not to mention the 2-4 days, beer, and bashed knuckles. In the end it was expensive, $1000 for labor and $600 for parts (give or take), but it was done in 10 hours. I took the day off as I was on kid duty and they had a minimum day and soccer practice.

Today we had some very heavy, unseasonal thunder showers with lots of rain. It hasn't rained here since the spring so of course the roads were super slippery and traffic was a mess. I was taking it slow as I didn't want to ball up a brand new water pump and belts and I was treated with a bolt in the tire.



Right now it seems that if it's not one thing it's another. Pulled into the drive way and within a few minutes I had it pulled and plugged. Tomorrow is a new day and I look forward to it.

[RobG]

Mike,

Sorry about your troubles glad things worked out as well as they did. Never heard of a water pump doing that before.

Your story writing is great had me thinking the worst was about to unfold.

Hopefully the next 100k willl be trouble free.

[Seanz0rz]

Bummer about the WP. My 3rd gen went South in the driveway while parked, or at least right before I parked it. My 100 was weeping, I just replaced it out of an abundance of caution.

[4x4mike]

I'm pretty sure mine never weeped. I gave it a once over before and after Yosemite, mostly because I've got a trail repair going on a cv boot, and never saw or smelled anything.

[YotaFun]

Mike,

Bummer on the water pump.

I have come to blame the newer super long life coolant (pink) that Toyota uses now for the failure water pumps. It is thinner then the Toyota red and I feel lacks what the Toyota red had to keep the seals in check. Theory in my mind, but when my water pump started to weep in the Camry, I put some red into the system till the new pump arrived and the leak stopped...
Some guys at the shop would do that on there personal cars too till they felt to getting around to replacing it.

Glad its all fixed up, don't have to worry about it for another 100k!

[4x4mike]

I'll have to remember that. It's filled now with Toyota Pink but I thought the "pink" and "red" were the same thing. Good to know.

Edit: Can I run "red" now? Will my seals and WP hold up to it or should I stick with the pink?

[YotaFun]

I would just stick with the pink, won't have to worry about changing it out for another 100k unlike the red.

[toyotech]

Red needs to be mixed with water
Pink is already premixed with distilled water

Pink is super long life while red isn't probably because no one uses distilled water for the mix

[4x4mike]

Good to know, thanks.