for the last few weeks ive been hearing a chirping coming from under my hood whenever it rained. kinda figured it was just the belt because it would go away after about 5 min. then in the last few days it started getting louder but in Pa we've been blessed with rain for about a week so i still didnt think much of it. i did look at the belt and it looked fine. tensioner and idler pulley felt solid not wobbly.
Unfortunatly today my truck broke wen i was leaving work. threw the belt and left me stranded. got it towed home. looked it over and everything spins freely except the water pump. very hard to turn but could turn it. full on coolant and never overheated. not dripping.

Do you think i just need a new belt or could it just be the water pump? it took 2 hands to turn where everything else spun with a finger. if it the waterpump im going to replace the belt anyway and also the tstat. just want to make sure im not missing anything. Please help before i spend stupid gobs of money. thanks

 

Sounds like the bearing in the water pump siezed up. The squealing noise was probably form the bearing, not the belt. The pulley on a water pump should spin easily by hand.

Be sure to check the machining on the replacement pump where the heater bypass tube goes and be sure it is smooth inside. I bought a water pump for my truck not too long ago that was not machined smooth inside the hole for the bypass tube and it caused me a lot of trouble. Also none of the heater bypass tubes from Advance, Napa or Autozone fit right. I had to buy that part from the Dodge dealer. And while you have the pump off it's a good idea to replace the bypass hose.

More info than what you asked for. Sorry, but I still get mad when I remember all the crap I went through when I replaced my water pump. I ranted about it here:

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...i-for-diy.html

Jimmy

 

Autozone duralast water pump lifetime warranty 64.99 or at least thats what I paid.

 

I bought the NAPA pump last summer and the bypass hose fit perfect. Maybe certain model water pumps have issues.

 

Sounds like the water pump. Try this: grab your fan and try to move it back and forth. If it has any play in it, then the water pump bearings are shot. When they go, the pulley on the water pump wobbles so much that it forces the belt to slip off.
Speaking of belts, get a new one while you're at it. Pay the extra $15 for a premium belt or it may squeal. I learned that the hard way. Dayco is a good brand. Goodyear Gator belts are excellent but hard to find unless you order online.
Also, I bought my bypass hose from Auto Zone; it fit just fine.

 

I was told that the threads on the fan assembly were reversed. They are not.I had a heck of a time thinking they were reversed threads and ended up using an air chisel that actually works better than tools that are recomended. took no time at all when i put the air chisel to it.As for the bypass, make sure it is dry and put a bead of silicone, let it sit until dry.
That's how I made the after market tube work. I had to completely take it apart twice because of that stupid tube. GOTTA BE DRY