[W126 Coupe] LEAK NOT A COINCIDENCE !! Leaking water pump was caused by ...

[Richard Hogarth]

I humbly beg to differ with the popular view. 
New belts are put on tight because they stretch. 
Tight belts will stress old and aged seals and bushings and and bearings
just to the point of wobbling enough, just fractions of a millimeter, 
such that the hardened seal will crack or tear. 
It's a general rule that bad waterpumps cause fan clutch failure and fan
clutch failure causes
water pump failure and overtightened belts cause both. 
If the pump and clutch are over 5 or six years old and you replace all of
the belts, get ready to do it all over again.
Belts, thermostats, pressure caps, fan clutches and pumps should all be done
at the same time if this stuff is over 5 or 6 years old. 
Also, if the pressure cap was replaced, the old one may have had a fatigued
spring and seal in which case the increased pressure and higher temp from
the new thermostat could also have caused seal failure to an aging water
pump. 
This is just my history of unfortunate experience with too many cars. 
Good Luck with it and try to get the mechanic to cut you some slack!!
He should have suggested the other stuff at the same time. 
-RPH





-----Original Message-----
From: mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com [mailto:mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com]
On Behalf Of dolans1 at verizon.net
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 7:37 PM
To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists
Subject: Re: Re: [W126 Coupe] Water Pump Replacement

>From:  <dolans1 at verizon.net>
>Date: Thu Mar 09 19:21:56 CST 2006
>To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
>Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] Water Pump Replacement

>No connection, just bad luck. Considering that the harmonic balancer and
distributor shaft has to be pulled, probably with 4.5 hours of labor and
parts sounds about right.
>
>>My mechanic just charged me close to $950 to replace the water pump, 
>>drain and flush the system and replace the thermostat.  Since I cannot 
>>work on the car in winter and it was leaking, I had to take it in, but 
>>D......  I wonder if there is a connection between putting in all new 
>>belts a few weeks ago and a now leaking water pump?
>>
>>Cal
>>

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