Should it stay or should it go?

[kramerpage]

Hello all! I am having a new radiator core support installed on my 2006 and was wondering if I should replace the water pump since the front clip will be removed. It has 126,000 miles on the original. I'm thinking how much longer could she go? What say you? Thanks

 

[John Stephan]

The water pump is easy to change. They are pretty robust. Let it ride.

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[1955moose]

Flip a coin! Just kidding. Its a crap shoot. Your at the mileage and age where you probably should. I've been around vehicles wrenching on them for close to 50 years now, and I've never figured why, but disrupting a sealed system like the cooling, shouldn't affect other parts like a thermostat or water pump, but it does. I've had a perfectly functional thermostat stop opening, just by changing out the coolant. Whether your changing the radiator, or a shop, it's cheaper and safer with the radiator and fan out already. Again, it's a judgement call, but at 13 years old, I'd change the upper, and lower hoses as well as the pump.

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[ManUpOrShutUp]

All of my vehicles in the last 20 years have been run to 220-350K miles and I've never had a water pump fail. So based on personal experience, I wouldn't bother until it starts giving you trouble unless they are known to be problematic on your particular vehicle.

 

[kramerpage]

I'm kinda on a sugar high right now...

Backstory...
Dealership said its junk. Take it to junkyard the adviser says or trade in on a new one. We have seen hundreds of these and nobody fixes them cause its not worth it.

That's like calling my girlfriend out. I felt like smacking him actually. lol I finally just ignored him and listened to the young mechanic who pointed out a bad ball joint and tie rod end on passenger side and rotten brake lines everywhere.

Body shop quoted 5.5k for the core support and 2k for the mechanicals.

So I made a turn on that disaster of an afternoon last week with a firm commitment that I will take care of her. Nurture her back to health.

 

[smith627]

Still running original water pump and radiator hoses on our 04 XLT 5.4 with 255,000 miles.
Ford must make a pretty dependable water pump for these engines. Still pretty cheap if you replace it yourself rather than pay a shop. Really not a difficult job if you are mechanically inclined.
Fortunately no rust on our Expedition due to very little snow/ice here and only sand used on bridges.

 

[kramerpage]

Thanks for the replies. I need to see if the fella installing the radiator support will let me work on it when he has the front clip off.

I ordered the radiator support which was $1291.38 plus tax at the dealer. There was a young man there that said wow that is too high price. LOL He lowered it to $1110.26 WITH tax.

I have appointment at the body shop May 27th at 10am . She gets a new set of Bloomers for $900.00.

Thats $2,010.26 verses the dealership price of $5.5K for the repair of the radiator support part of this.

Thats a $3489.74 savings to you and me Russ...

 

[1955moose]

If you do decide to change out pump, be sure and bolt up a Ford one, or at least one of the better ones available. With all the Chinese garbage floating around, wouldn't want to see a perfectly functional pump being replaced with an inferior part.

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[kramerpage]

If you do decide to change out pump, be sure and bolt up a Ford one, or at least one of the better ones available. With all the Chinese garbage floating around, wouldn't want to see a perfectly functional pump being replaced with an inferior part.

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Roger that. It would be a motorcraft PW423. They are less expensive than they were in the 80's...

37.00 shipped!!

 

[Fordgirl01]

Backstory...
said its junk. Take it to junkyard the adviser says or trade in on a new one. We have seen hundreds of these and nobody fixes them cause its not worth it.



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[Fordgirl01]

Backstory...
said its junk. Take it to junkyard the adviser says or trade in on a new one. We have seen hundreds of these and nobody fixes them cause its not worth it.



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I had a mechanic tell me my old 99 Navigator “was junk” and I “needed to get rid of it”. Out of spite and pure stubbornness....5 years later and I’m still driving it. What changed?? I am my own mechanic now! It’s never let me down and it has 188000 miles on it. I take care of it, it takes care of me[emoji51]


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[TomB985]

I had a mechanic tell me my old 99 Navigator “was junk” and I “needed to get rid of it”. Out of spite and pure stubbornness....5 years later and I’m still driving it. What changed?? I am my own mechanic now! It’s never let me down and it has 188000 miles on it. I take care of it, it takes care of me[emoji51]


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Being able to work on a vehicle yourself drastically alters the decision making process to keep or dump an older car. When labor is free, and the platform is common enough for Parts to be inexpensive, you can keep something running almost indefinitely.

 

[1955moose]

We'll their you go. I've never listened to people tell me something was fried, unless I saw it with my own eyes. Even then, I still tried to find a fix. Out of desperation I learned how to fix vehicles. It started with bicycles, then Motorcycles, and finally car's. I hate paying for anything. I do my own alignment, balance my own tires, etc. Most shops crook you, it's just because of their high rents, their never smart enough to buy the building when they had the chance. Now their struggling each month to make a $10,000 to $30,000 nut to pay. Everybody's afraid their going to fail, but never think I'm good, I'll make it! That's why the crooks in the Bay area are so greedy, and so many quality shops/businesses have gone belly up. Get the tools, learn it, and keep getting dirty. That's what hand cleaners for. Not to mention how good you feel fixing your SUV for $20.00, when Billy's garage wanted $300.00 just to screw it up.

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[Fordgirl01]

I hate paying for anything as well!! I always say wont pay anyone to do something I can do myself. And you are correct....the satisfaction of doing said job is an added bonus!


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[kramerpage]

Well I try to get the low hanging fruit. If it's to high I judge weather to get out the ladder or pay someone. When 7 of my 8 spark plugs snapped off and I didn't know about the issue I thought OMG! But I got them out...

I have had my oil changed a dozen times by some stranger since 1978. Lol

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[kramerpage]

I drive a 2016 Chevy Malibu. A working mans car.

My Expedition was purchased to take my family on a vacation in Northern Michigan. With a 20 ft boat, 6 children and myself and wife , we had a wonderful time and we will never forget.

Now that the wife and kids are gone. I need something now and then to tow my boats with and help people move. Lol

So fixing it is the way to go for me and my needs.

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[ManUpOrShutUp]

If you do decide to change out pump, be sure and bolt up a Ford one, or at least one of the better ones available. With all the Chinese garbage floating around, wouldn't want to see a perfectly functional pump being replaced with an inferior part.

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The Ford is made in Mexico. I don't know if the standard there is much higher.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Thanks for the replies. I need to see if the fella installing the radiator support will let me work on it when he has the front clip off.

I ordered the radiator support which was $1291.38 plus tax at the dealer. There was a young man there that said wow that is too high price. LOL He lowered it to $1110.26 WITH tax.

I have appointment at the body shop May 27th at 10am . She gets a new set of Bloomers for $900.00.

Thats $2,010.26 verses the dealership price of $5.5K for the repair of the radiator support part of this.

Thats a $3489.74 savings to you and me Russ...

$1,110.26?! Isn't this the part we're talking about here or am I missing something? As it is that's about 4x what a generic costs and for something like this I wouldn't think twice about buying the generic.

 

[kramerpage]

That's the part alright. The problem lies with the installers. All the shops refuse to install aftermarket. Period. So I had no choice since the cost is mostly all labor. Shameful I know.

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[rjdelp7]

I have seen the core support for mine are $290. I saw a guy on youtube removed all the stuff and drilled his spot welds out. A big job...Yes, but $0 labor. If it takes 20 hrs, that's like paying yourself $50/hr. He didn't spot weld the new one in, he used machine screws. Hey, WTF...Its an old Expedition. The are also plenty of nice ones down south, with clean rust free bodies. You can get one for $3K-6K. They run forever. A low mileage one, would be a find.