We talk about leaking water pumps on the blog often, as it is one of the most common failures most Toyota owners will encounter over the life of their vehicle. CARspec recently had the opportunity to replace a leaking water pump on a 5.7 liter 3UR powered 2013 Land Cruiser and wanted to share what the pump looks like and what was leaking. Here’s the pump for reference with the leak highlighted:
Land Cruiser Pump
The above indicated leak is from the weep hole that allows whatever coolant that does leak past the front pulley bearing seal to be diverted away from the pulley. It is a pressure relief port of sorts. While a small, tiny, old amount of pink buildup is normal, any dark or obviously wet coolant leaking is not. Often the water pump bearing is making a growling noise at the same time.
The water pump on the 5.7 liter 3UR is on the front of the engine but is challenging to access due to the coolant crossover pipes and lines that run to the thermostat housing that bolts to the the front of the water pump. Because of the pump’s location under the throttle body, most of the upper pump bolts must be done blind and the thermostat housing carefully installed to not damage the upper o-ring that the water pump seals against (the old o-ring is in this photo at top, still in its recess).
As Minneapolis, Minnesota’s premier Toyota and Lexus specialist, leaking water pumps are a specialty of ours and can usually be repaired the same day. If you think you have a leaking water pump, don’t hesitate to give us a ring and make an appointment at (952)426-4798 today!
