Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Branches California broken water pump

i just bought a 1998 contour SVT, and i was warned about the cheap plastic water pump which breaks so easily...how often should i change the water pump? Where can i buy them and how much do they cost?

you just need to change from the plastic to the metal impeller WP once. I haven't heard of anyone's metal WP falling apart yet. Available at AutoZone

The reason why the metal ones don't fail as much as the plasic ones is because the back part of the water pump falls apart internally. This metal ring that falls out puts pressure against the impeller causing it to crack and fail. Using a metal one and it shouldn't fail. But the back part will most likely fall apart.

I've had three water pumps that 'fell' apart since I've owened the car, none of them acutally broke but there was serious wear and trear to the impeller because of that metal ring coming apart. My susggestion is to buy a new water pump from Ford because it includes a new housing.

Or you can buy a new metal pump like everyone else