Our 1997 Mercury Tracer is just about due for the 120,000 mile timing belt replacement and I was wondering if we need to replace the water pump as well. We've already replaced the water pump once as preventive maintenance during our 60,000 mile timing belt replacement. Would it be necessary to do it again?
Thanks, Joseph
It's a cointoss. I would do it if it were my car. Consider it cheap insurance.
I believe those pumps are small and cheap. You are changing the belt as preventive maintenance. Why not change the pump too and know you are good for a long while.
The chance you take is spending the money on the belt replacement and having the old water pump seize up or suffer some other calamity soon after, requiring you to replace the belts yet again. If you do the pump now no need to worry about it failing and you can be rest assured that you won't be replacing your belts anytime soon afterwards.
Preventative maintenance, cheap insurance... call it what you want, but it's money well spent.
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