Milano water pump

["Bill Sinclair" <bills@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Will,

All of my experiences with failing water pumps have been similar to the one
you described on your old 2002.  Within minutes or hours of first noticing the
squeak or rumble, the pump fails.  Usually not locked up, but leaking badly
and the pulley showing lots of movement.  Ever try to find a water pump for a
Willys F-head 4 cyl. in Culpepper, VA ?  "Uh, Dad, could you take the water
pump off the spare engine in the shed and drive 200 miles to give it to me?"
Of course, I tend to filter out chassis squeaks and clunks and odd engine
noises until they start really screaming at me.  It's quite possible that the
failure starts some days before I notice it.  I don't know anything about Alfa
V6's, but it seems to me that if your pump were to seize you might jump timing
and ruin your engine.  If it were fan belt driven instead of a timing belt
driven pump, I'd say drive it to your mechanic and keep an eye on the temp.
gauge or steam from under the bonnet.  But in your case I don't think I'd risk
driving it another block.  If I'm off base I'm sure someone will correct me.
You might also have your mechanic check with a stethoscope to make sure your
tricky steering pump isn't somehow throwing its voice.

Bill Sinclair
'67 Duetto (with a spare pump in the trunk to ward off evil water pump
spirits)
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