Water pump question

[XJ4IV]

... So I have been working on cars for about half my life and my very first ... BIG repair at the age of 16 was a water pump on my old 280zx I have since replaced about 50 water pumps in various vehicles and I now know that 100% a good cooling system should have NO holes in the system other than the radiator cap under pressure relief to the reservoir...
so that being said WHAT THE HELLLLLLLL IS THIS DOING ON OUR WATER PUMPS???
http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo167/seivey/pump05t.jpg
I know its a "weep hole" but what does it do? mine is leaking and really getting annoying... with the temps being so hot lately here in houston its getting really scary and my temps are near redlining... too close for comfort

please let me know why there is a HOLE in our cooling system!!!

[Mudderoy]

I don't know what the weep hole is, but I know what it means. You're water pump needs to be replaced. :thumbdown:

[T- B0NE]

Yup! Once that weep hole starts weeping, you need a water pump.

[Thomass]

WHAT THE HELLLLLLLL IS THIS DOING ON OUR WATER PUMPS???
please let me know why there is a HOLE in our cooling system!!!

i found this to explain the hole:

Water pumps all come with a hole in them. The hole is called the "weep hole". It's not that water pumps are naturally sad or anything. They need the weep hole to warn you when seals are about to fail in the pump. The weep hole is intended to allow extra lubricant from the pump bearings to drip out of the water pump housing. Without this hole, the oil would be forced past the water pump seal and get into the engine coolant. The hole also allows coolant to escape the pump housing instead of being forced past the oil seals to contaminate the bearings.
Seal Failure
The way you can tell if a seal if about to fail is by checking the weep hole to see what is coming out If oil comes out of the weep hole, it means you have a blown or failing oil seal. If, instead, water or anti-freeze leaks out of the weep hole, then you have a leaking internal water pump seal in the case. Small amounts of moisture or oil around the weep hole is probably not a problem, but if there is significant leakage of water or oil, it's time to replace the water pump.

hope it will help..

Thomass

[T- B0NE]

Mine failed at about 60k

[XJ4IV]

I put new one in about every year... oriely sucks man but at least they give me a lifetime warranty.

[pingpong]

I am knocking on wood when I say this.. but I have never had to replace a water pump on any of my 4.0 rigs.. only had to do one on a 2.5. I have owned a total of 10 xjs so far. Not sure what you all are doing to kil waterpumps though.. please tell me