Is it possible for a water pump to just quit working?

Last night I get in my 95 Z28 to go downtown and it gets hot, and acts like water is not circulating. My first thought is maybe the thermostat (Hypertech 160 degree) is sticking but I have been smelling just a hint of anti-freeze under the hood this past couple weeks and have been wondering if maybe it is time to change the water pump, to the best of my knowledge the water pump is 5-6 years old.

Anyone with a similiar experience and some advice on where to start?

Thanks in advance.

 

if your coolant was not circulating it would get hot quickly,possibly burst a hose due to the pressure.
have you removed the radiator cap and started the motor to see if coolant is flowing?
you may try flushing the system out.
don't forget to bleed the system.....

perfect time to instal and elec.wp

 

When our WPs start to fail, they will leak out of the small "weep hole" located at the bottom of the pump. Check here for coolant leaks, and/or staining.

It is highly unlikely for it to just stop working altogether. I would check the thermostat. They have a tendancy to go rather easily. When the temp guage shoots up, check your upper rad hose. If it's hard, then the thermostat isn't opening and needs replacement.

 

I've always though of it like this, if your driving and the car gets hot = w/p. If your sitting still and it gets hot = fans. Tstat could be both.

 

Make sure you don't have the Dexcool sludge clogging the radiator.

Warren

 

X2

I had it bad. A GOOD flush will take car of that.

 

When I shut it down, it took a short time but then I could hear pressure escaping but couldn't quite see where it was coming from, just in the general vicinity of the water pump.

 

you are going to have to crawl under the car and look at the bottom of the water pump and llok for coolant stains on it and under it on the opti.
I look at mine yesterday after smelling some coolant and sure enuf the front of the opti is stained black right down the middle.

GOta wait till i get some $$$ next week and get an electric WP

 

Of course - they wont spin forever. Mechanically, two things can go rwong
with the [LT1] water pump. First, the seals will wear and the coolant
will escape out the weep hole. A second issue is the pump's drive
system. Since the water pump is driven off the cam, if the driving
gear, coupler, or driven gear goes south, the impeller wont turn, which
in turn, wont circulate the coolant.

Check all the cooling system's paraphernalia, before the water pump is
declared defective:
* bleed the system
* pressure test the system (look for leaks elsewhere)
* test the cap
* test the fans
* test the thermostat in a pot of boiling water.
* check for proper coolant mixture.
* check for collapsed hoses
* check the weep hole for leaks

Finally, if everything else checks OK, you can test if the pump's driving
system has failed - remove the inspection plate and attempt to turn
the impeller by hand - if it turns - one or more of the driving gear,
coupler, or driven gear have gone bad.

 

I'm having the same problem. I have had my 93 for 3 years and I have been through 3 water pumps since then. If the water pump is defective, can you do a electric w/p conversion and that solve your coolant leak or will you have to have a new housing for the electric w/p.


Thanks

Josh