Home > categories > Hydraulic & Pneumatic > Water Pump > Dodge Intrepid 2001, 2.7 L, why do water pumps break?
Question:

Dodge Intrepid 2001, 2.7 L, why do water pumps break?

For what reasons can water pump in car break? Thanks

Answer:

Mechanical water pumps break because they have a shaft that goes directly into a water pump housing. That shaft is driven on the outside by the accessory drive belt. on the inside of the water pump housing their is a impeller(a disk like that of a old mill house in the forest next to a stream). between inside the pump housing and outside there is a rubber seal to keep the coolant in. Because the rubber seal is exposed to heat drying occurs on the outside causing the rubber seal to on day get hardened. On the inside the hot coolant keep the seal pliable and soft. when air gets inside the coolant system with water it causes the seal to dry on the inside of shaft seal. When heat is on both sides of the seal exposed to air cracking occurs faster causing the seal to crack all the way through and spill water. Electric water pumps for cars are some of the most compact and powerful water pumps around for their size. Due to the extreme under hood temps and the constant turning on and off to save gas the electric water pump for cars have a short life. It used to be electric water pumps were only used in the drag race area; due to electric failure. Not until recently have companies started to deploy them among small cars and also as secondary pumps for turbo and supercharger applications with having a main water pump being mechanical.
The 2.7 and it's water pump are simply a problem waiting to happen. Poor design.

Share to: