Should I replace my water pump?

2009 v6 with 108,xxx miles. I'm planning on a coolant flush very soon and I have already went and purchased new hoses and the 170 degree thermostat to replace both while I'm changing the coolant.

I've heard many people talk about how their water pump went out close to 100k miles. Since I'm already over that marker I'm wondering if I should go ahead and replace the pump too since I'm gonna be in there??

I have no reason to think my pump is failing due to there not being any leaks or high pitch noises. There is a kinda strange rattling noise at low (and I mean low) RPM; its during almost all operating conditions: in park, neutral, reverse or drive with a load and no load. It seems when the AC is on it's slightly louder for sure but idk what to think really.

So the question stands, do I go ahead and replace the pump since I'm in there?

Thanks yall!

 

Certainly not going to hurt, good preventative maintenance.

 

OK so any TW preferences on a manufacturer, should I go ahead and do the belt too, it looks like it's actually in good shape.

Maybe it was changed, not on the service history though, seems either last two owners were DIYers or just went to shops that didn't report.

 

I always suggest a new belt with a new water pump. It doesn't get removed as often as the older timing belt engines did.

Also inspect the idler pulleys carefully while doing the pump, they have a higher rate of failure than the accesories. 3 Idlers, 1 tensioner bearing.

 

Replace the belt. Put the "old" one in the storage compartment as a spare.

 

When you change the water pump, be very careful of the o-ring on the top. It is very easy to pinch or tear when installing. Also buy a new gasket.


Not the right water pump gasket


This is the right water pump and gasket.
The blue circle is where the o-rings goes.

 

Belt is coming off anyways when you do the water pump. Might as well just through a new one on for peace of mind and keep the old one for an emergency spare like mentioned above. Pull the fan shroud for more access and to get the fan and fan clutch out.

 

Okay, thanks y'all this is good stuff to know.

So go for OEM water pump then?

And for the idler pulley, what is the correct way to inspect them, is it just visual; am I looking for free play; are they going to be loose or slipping?

 

Water pumps are cheap. Well mine was less than 100 bucks. Anything you can replace while in the area is a good idea. Pulleys, pumps, seals, gaskets, hoses, belts. One swoop and you should be good to go for 100k more miles. I did all of that stuff at 170K miles/13 years. Everything looked good but, you never know. I went all OEM. Parts and labor I was at $1000 from the dealer. I sourced my parts...

 

Well I'll certainly go for the Aisin water pump since it seems its the part Toyota uses, just without their name on it.

Any comments on the Gates ACK070834 Belt Drive Kit, I found it on Amazon and it seems like its a good price. Anyone have some experience with Gates and its quality?

 

On eBay, there is a guy (Aircabinman) who buys OEM parts in bulk. His prices are very good and he has a few “kits” available for Tacos. You can check him out and see if he has what you need. Lots of guys, including myself, are very happy with him.

 

Roytown.... So I’m experiencing the same issue as far as that rattle noise at low idle. The noise gets louder when the AC clutch is engaged, but is also there only not as loud When the compressor clutch disengages. I can’t figure out if the rattling is coming from the air conditioner, AC pulley, Belt tensioner, Fan clutch or water Pump. My taco is a 2005 with 148k, So it’s probably ready to replace these items anyways. So I was wondering if changing the water pump made that noise go away?

 

Check the idlers first. I just replaced all of mine including the belt tensioner idler (reverse thread). Later models you can press out the bearings and press in new ones. For my 2006 4.0L I could only rebuild the belt tensioner idler bearings. The rest had some oddball bearings. This is a great way to locate the noises. I had to use a broom handle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHtLH_m9gN4&t=1s

 

There's a great YouTube channel called Toyota Maintenance. Peter (the mechanic) has a video that gives great detail on that o-ring and how easy it is to damage and gives tips on how avoid that.