I installed a new water pump on a Cherokee straight-6 engine, the upper radiator hose is not heating up and the engine is starting to make a funny noise. The thermostat is new and was working fine before. The coolant reservoir is full and no more coolant will drain to radiator / engine. Anyone know why waterpump is not circulating coolant?
Is the impeller missing? Water pumps are mechanical. So if the belt is attached it should work. Its your thermostat. It locked shut.
is the radiator full enough?
Those engines are the worst I have come across to burp the air out of. I finally had to remove the heater hose and back fill the system with a quart squeeze bottle. You will find that a sport tipped water bottle filled with 50/50 mix coolant will get the air out. later I found that if I cut the heater hose in half and installed a flush tee it worked even better, so far it has been the only way I have been able to purge the system. Good Luck
I'm unfamiliar with the workings of that engine. Have you bled all of the air out? It wouldn't be the first time a new part is faulty. Don't assume that just because it is new, that it is working. Unlikely as it is, it is possible that the new water pump is faulty.
Did you prefill the radiator before you started it? Did you put the thermostat in upside down? After it cools, remove the radiator cap and fill the radiator with the engine idling.
