3.9 water pump change?

Hi guys,
A pretty depressing first thread for me here!!

I picked up a 3.9 v8 90 today...
The chap I bought it from said he had used it daily for the past 18 months with no issues, but noted to me that the temp gauge didn't work and suspected it was the sender - so I bought it with this in mind.

Anyway, my journey home was about 70 miles and took about 2 hours, all motorway and A roads.
We then took it for a round the block type run for my wife to drive it, again this seemed ok.

Back home, we left it idling for no more than about 5 minutes whilst we shifted other cars off the drive so I could back the landy under our carport.
Sadly I was greeted with this on the drive and plumes of anti-freeze smelling steam both outside and inside the car



I phoned up the guy who I bought it from (he had taken it to the garage for a 'health check' 3 days ago, and of course they reported nothing untoward - I can't clearly see where its come from, but there does appear to be a lot of 'rusty water' marks down the hose at the bottom of the water pump - so, assuming the hose hasn't split (I'll need to confirm that in the daylight), would a water pump typically 'let go' in this rather spectacular fashion? or should I be looking elsewhere?

Many Thanks in advance for any ideas - I didn't expect my first 3.5hours of ownership to be quite such a baptism of fire!!

It's usually the bearings that go and you would be able to hear it before it completely lets go. Also, you would be able to feel some movement in the water pump pulley if it is the bearings. Other than that the gasket could have gone but that would probably only happen if the engine was overheating a lot.

You will certainly know when the pumps shaft bearing fails with the very loud knocking and confirmed by a wobbly viscous fan pulley, mine failed after 41,000miles and that was a genuine LR part, an OM replacement cost me £51 three years ago.
The shaft seal can also fail, that will normally be seen by coolent dripping/running from the hole underneath the pump.

An iffy hose I would think with that amount of liquid in that short distance on the ground, unless its boils over.

Thanks guys, if I'm honest, it wasn't particularly noisy - I was only going by the 'spray pattern' down the hose which points to the water pump.

But I've loaded it up with water and taken it to a local specialist for a water pressure test, a compression test and a general shakedown.

It has kindof soured my new purchase, especially since the guy I bought it off has dusted his hands of it, despite there being "nothing wrong with it" and it doing this within 4 hours of ownership
Anyway, lesson learnt - lets hope the specialist doesn't come back with anything too nasty!

Looking at your opening post again it could have boiled over, okay while moving with an air flow through the radiator but none while idling, due possibly an iffy viscous fan if fitted or a non functioning electric fan, so something else to check.
Don't forget to update the thread with what was found.

RacingSnake said:

Thanks guys, if I'm honest, it wasn't particularly noisy - I was only going by the 'spray pattern' down the hose which points to the water pump.

But I've loaded it up with water and taken it to a local specialist for a water pressure test, a compression test and a general shakedown.

It has kindof soured my new purchase, especially since the guy I bought it off has dusted his hands of it, despite there being "nothing wrong with it" and it doing this within 4 hours of ownership
Anyway, lesson learnt - lets hope the specialist doesn't come back with anything too nasty!

Click to expand...

check the tell tale hole in bottom of water pump,if coolants from there it needs a new pump,ensure the cooling system is A1, as its a 3.9 in defender

discool said:

, due possibly an iffy viscous fan if fitted or a non functioning electric fan, so something else to check.
Don't forget to update the thread with what was found.

Click to expand...

No viscous fan, the electric fans run on both a manual switch and a thermo switch - I have already ordered a new switch (haven't checked if thats the issue, but for £6 it can have a new switch anyway).

jamesmartin said:

check the tell tale hole in bottom of water pump,if coolants from there it needs a new pump,ensure the cooling system is A1, as its a 3.9 in defender

Click to expand...

Hopefully the coolant pressure test will flush out what the issue is (so to speak!).

Will definitely report back with the findings.
Thanks guys

Hi guys,
ok, quick update - just picked the car up (haven't had a chance to get it before today!!).

Anyway, water pump changed as it was leaking - but compounded by the electric fans did not kick in.
They said it is actually running hot anyway, and commented that the rad fitted might be the original 2.5D rad rather than a v8 one.

But at least it's back and running!