Leaky water pump after Honda radiator fixed

Hello I'd be grateful if someone could help me out with some advice on 1990 Honda accord I got my radiator replaced on Saturday. The mechanic said my 1990 Accord might smoke a little but that was nothing to worry about. If it did, I could just bring it back in a few days. It overheated for three days. I brought it back and they released the pressure then said they found a small hole in the hose that controls the idle was leaking. They replaced it. Then they ran it for 30 minutes and the water pump started leaking.

Would it be fair to ask them to cover the cost of repair/replacement if the water pump?
I can't afford another $500!

Ty.
I think it overheated

I am sorry for vehicle troubles. Over heating cars now days is a lot worse than it was years ago with cast iron engines and heads. Can you tell me why they replaced the radiator?

when you replace a radiator you can get some coolant that spills on the car that you can't totally clean away so there may be some steam of vapor from the coolant the may take some time to go away. That is very different from having your car over heat for a few days. If your car overheats even one time you may have damaged the head gasket seal area. (depending on how hot the engine may have gotten) What happens is the expansion of the head and the engine block is different when they get overheated. That expansion difference breaks the seal on the head gasket that seal the two parts together. It may take days sometimes months for the head gasket to show the effects of this damage. It can show up as coolant in the oil, engine runs a little rough on start up, white smoke out of the tailpipe and engine compression pressures leaking into the cooling system.

I don't think you can blame the water pump leaking on the shop that replaced you radiator. (just my personal opinion) The parts of the water pump will not usually change with an overheat that gets to 235F to 260F. However that being said, overheating and excessive pressure in the cooling system from a blown head gasket can push past the seals in the water pump and cause it to leak. All things working normally, when you have your radiator replaced you shouldn't have a overheat problem. Even with a small coolant leak, the car shouldn't over heat until the coolant gets very low.

Couple of things you might want to check. 1. use a 2 or 4 or 5 gas analyzer and check for hydrocarbons out of the radiator while the engine is running and warmed up. 2. put a radiator pressure tester on the radiator and watch the pressure build up as the engine runs and revs up. excessive pressure especially as the engine revs up or the signs of hydrocarbons will tell you that head gasket damage is very possible. The bad thing is no, one can tell when a head gasket went bad. Sometimes age, sometimes coolant electrolysis, sometimes overheat but like I said before, it sometimes takes months for the damaged head gasket to show the signs that is has been damaged.

So, in conclusion... I don't think the shop will do your water pump as a result of the leak that showed up. I would have them test for head gasket damage before they do anymore work on your engine. If you do the water pump / timing belt / balance shaft belt (and balance shaft seal and install a balance shaft seal retainer) normally done together, you will be charged double labor if they have to go back and take off the head to do a head gasket.

Hi,
I was also having the same problem of radiator in my Honda which I purchased from the salvage yard. Got it fixed from the mechanic still didn't understood the reason but you explained it really well.

The water pump functions as the heart of the cooling system. The impeller blades within the pump drive the water by force through all of the engine passages, into the radiator, and back again through a continuous loop. Some pumps suffer internal failure and show signs of early malfunction through leaks or general overheating. Water pumps almost never fail suddenly. They wear progressively and show outward signs. An observant vehicle owner can spot such early warning signs and administer repairs before the situation worsens.

Set the vehicle in park and activate the emergency brake. Make sure the engine is not running. Open the hood and locate the front of the water pump. Look for any signs of leakage at the edges of the pump housing flange where it connects to the engine block. Make sure all of the water pump mounting bolts appear intact and that none have run out or disappeared. If a small leak appears in this area, you can re-torque the bolts according to manufacturer's specifications. This can stop a very small leak. As an added precaution, make sure the heater hose and lower radiator hose clamps have been tightened, using the appropriate screwdriver or small socket.

Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature, then shut it off. Use the floor jack to lift the vehicle, and place two jack stands under the frame near the front wheels. Slide under the front end and examine the underside of the water pump. Most water pumps have a "weep" hole, or a bypass hole that lets water flow through it in case the pump bearings and seals have failed. Dripping water or a rusty appearance at this location indicates a pump shaft or seal failure. You can also wiggle the water pump shaft back and forth, noting if it has excessive play. This indicates bad shaft bearings. If any of these conditions exist, the water pump must be replaced. If problems persist.