I have a 1998 Dodge Durango 5.2 Engine and 225K Miles its been got to me till recently i have been driving it and maintaining it for 3-4 years and this problem i am having is really puzzling me, when i start the durango it squeaks instantaneously when on and when i noticed the problem i had my wife press the gas on the highway and was splashed in the face with droplets of water and antifreeze it shuts off the durango when water builds up on the top of the coil. Please help me....

 

Welcome to the site. I will move this thread to the first genration Durango,
FF

 

sounds alot like the water pump.. when water gets on the drive belt it will make it squeak like that. Also when the pump starts going out it will spit little bits of water out from somewhere due to the bearing starting to go out inside.. If your gonna replace the pump yourself make sure to have a big wrench to take the fan clutch off and you also wanna replace the little tube that comes off to the drivers side of the water pump.. O'reliys didnt have a clue about the tube but it was hanging on their wall.. also use plenty of RTV.. Until you replace it keep a VERY close eye on your coolant levels.. I got to the point on mine that i had to fill it up once a day..

 

The water pump has a weep hole located between the shaft and the bearings and seals. When the seals or bearings start to fail it will leak out of this weep hole and fall down onto the pulley. The pulley then flips it onto the coil/belt as ^Sum^ stated. The pump is built to do that so you know it's on the way out and can have it replaced. Always replace the water pump with a NEW one NEVER use rebuilt ones.

 

+1 this is very important if you want to save yourself having to do the job again

 

Why is it to use only a new one I wonder? Rebuilt other things are usually as good based on tolerance issues. Why not a water pump?

What of the pressed on verses bolt on pulleys too?

I'm not a water pump expert so honestly wondering.

My stocker was replaced new at the stealer at 90,000 miles. Since then... knocking on wood.

IndyD

 

I've installed more water pumps than I can shake a stick at and every one of the rebuilds I installed were out within what seems one day to 1 month. Lesson learned!


One would think that the rebuild would be in tolerance and specs, but if thats the case then why the problems with em? Bearings, seals, and casting wares. My opinion on it (I've done a lot of rebuilds on many things):

I think the main problems are always with the bearings. I think the casing hub wares and then the new bearing doesn't fit as tight as new. Let me tell you this, if I build something I would MUCH rather get all the parts new and assemble them myself. Starters are the same thing......Problems with rebuilds. The reason your water pump lasted this long is I would put money on it that it was a brand new one!

A rebuild will never outlast a new one if the same builder built both it using the same parts, keeping it apples to apples.....IMHO


Bolt on or press on, it's only the shaft not the internal parts so I will go out on a limb and say no difference.

 

I had changed the pump and now it runs a hell of a lot better no more squeaks or anything like that when i changed it the internal fan thing was broken 2 of the 6 blades that pass the coolant through were gone and i had metal shards all up in there it was horrible but flushed the radiator with water and the other thing the hoses connect to metal shard were pouring out BAD!!!! but I got me a new pump from autozone with lifetime warranty popped that **** on and now it runs like a charm :-) thanks again evry1

 

Auto Zone pumps have always been good to me......Glad you got her going!