Finally at 243k my water pump decided to kick the dust.
like everything else JUST GOTTA FIX IT...

So for the ones on here who have replaced their water pumps where is the best place to get it??

Nissan
Advance Auto
Autozone
OReillys

Those are my choices who should i go with?? and should i replace the tensioner as well? how many gaskets do i need?? Ive been looking at all the post and threads from former members.

please post your suggestion for where i should buy the pump from cause im replacing it this Saturday morning.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...lp-please.html

Everything you need is in that thread. The Nissan pump is only about $75, so you should get that one. I definitely recommend that you do the tensioner while you are in there. If your car is not a 95, you can simply buy the "new style" tensioner (that's the only one that Nissan sells now, anyway) without needing to replace the guide. Tensioner is $54.90 on http://www.worldpartsexpress.com and the pump is $75.29. Prices at your dealer should be similar, maybe a little more expensive. If they give you a ridiculous price quote then just go the Autozone route But, I'm not sure if AZ will have to special order those parts - might not get them in time for you if you plan to tackle this on Saturday.

 

CRiME said it well, source Nissan parts, OEM prices are not far off from OTC prices. Source them from Dave Brunnette, you will get the best prices. Do tensioner and pump at the same time since the tensioner has to come off to provide slack on the chain.

 

how does one know if the pump has gone bad? does the coolant overheat?

 

I'm going to trouble shoot mine completely to make sure it is my water pump before i go through it. But i just want to be prepared in case its bad. but my symptoms are:

coolant leaking from the belt side about where the water pump is located. I believe my water pump is leaking from the weep hole. But before I replace my pump I'm going to use a pressure tester to see exactly where the leak is coming from. My car started to overheat on me the other day while in traffic and i check my radiator and it was about empty so i filled it up and have been refilling it ever since. but while on the HWY my car runs really cool which is weird, it runs cooler then normal operating temp which i was thinking my thermostat is stuck wide open, so have to play doctor on the car this weekend.

and Yes when your weep hole leaks your pump has gone bad.

 

When I had to get my pump replaced, I never could see a drop of coolant leak but there was an obvious small loss from the overflow tank. Much is said of the mystery weep hole but then finding it is like chasing a ghost. In my case, I threw in some UV dye in the coolant which eventually made it to the oil. Pressure test resulted in a small loss of pressure with no visible leaks, evidence of failing o-rings.

 

Yep, that's how I knew mine was bad at 143K miles almost 6 years ago. I was seeing a few drops of coolant under the front (passenger side) of the engine every time I stopped the car.

 

Its is a pain to change that, i cried while i was doing it , what out punting it the new one back on as to nut make any cuts on the seals. One thing, on has to change the oil of the car a couple of times after doing it cuz of any leaks en between the seals ? any
ways, thats what i did.

 

Well guys just wanted to say thanks for all your help i changed it earlier today and it turned out well thus far. its not as bad as everyone thinks it is. also A good sturdy clothes hanger is useful for holding back the timing chain guide when installing the tensioner. 243K and still gettin it.

 

I can't post a thread yet so I am hijacking this one lol.

I just had my mechanic do the water pump and afterwards I didn't notice any rattle noise others described. Two days later the rattling started. Is this because the timing chain tensioner has went? Or does it take awhile to go away? I hope I don't have to get a new one because I am broke as hell.

 

My tensioner rattled for a few starts, it's tolerable now, just a brief rattle on cold start.

 

I replaced my two belts and the timing chain tensioner last month. Not a bad job. I thought I was hearing a chain rattle when accelerating in second gear (water pump was replaced last year so thought it was the tensioner going bad now). Rattle-type noise was still there. I then switched to premium gas 'cause the price of gas has gone down A LOT. Noise is now gone. Hmmmm.. Nothing but premium for me from now on.

 

My rattling noise went away after a short drive to my house.

 

Black Mamba ... is that supposed to be English ?

To tell if the pump is bad, you'll loose coolant (someplace) and if it is under the belts, I would almost asure you it's the pump. There will (usually) be coolant in your oil (which can leave a white sudzy residue on the oil cap) and when you change the oil, you'll be able to see the coolant in there. Also, just pull the 4 - 10mm bolts (holding the cover on the timing case) that covers the pump and check to see if you smell / see coolant. It's not that hard of a job, but yes, it is a PITA! Unless you've done it a time or two and know the shortcuts. I would not even consider doing the pump and not doing the TC tensioner at the same time - silly not to do it all at once. When you pull the TC tensioner, loosen the bottom bolt and remove the top one (this will allow the tensioner to fall backwards (to 45º) and it makes it MUCH easier to push the slider pin back and then lock it in place). Just don't drop anything down in the timing case or you'll be sorry you did. You'll have to remove the front engine mount and move the PS rez ... to make room. Have fun ... it's not that bad really. There are worse things

 

As for those with the rattle upon start up .... it'll only get worse the colder it gets. The sooner you do the TC tensioer, the better off you'll be.

 

When using the M8 bolts to work the old water pump out, both "ears" with the M8 bolts broke off! The pump did not budge. How do I get it out now, with so little room to work?

 

I just did this job. and after putting it back together and driving it around i noticed the oil is milky. how many times should i replace the oil to get the water out of the timing cover? or do you think that the pump is leaking still? but if the pump is still leaking shouldn't it be dripping on the driveway too?