Shoutout to my cheap water pump that gave up at the worst possible time

I was driving back from a job site in Dayton last Thursday when my 2003 F-150 started blowing steam from under the hood. The temperature gauge spiked fast, so I pulled over at a gas station and popped the hood. The water pump had a crack right through the plastic impeller, and coolant was spraying everywhere. I had that pump for maybe 6 months from an auto parts store near Cincinnati. Turns out the cheap rebuilds use plastic parts that just can't handle the heat. I ended up calling a buddy with a trailer to haul me to a shop. Cost me $320 for a new pump and labor, plus I lost half a day of work. Has anyone else had bad luck with those budget water pumps?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_hart536d ago

Used to grab the cheap ones too, but that nightmare changed my mind real quick.

elliot_patel6d ago

Yeah I feel your pain, I replaced mine twice before learning to just buy the OEM part.