Can The Water Pump Pulley Be Replaced?

[Kwing]

If it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.

Replaced the water pump on my '07 Tahoe 5.3 in April. Got a cheap one on Amazon. Yesterday, on the home after being fired ("laid off"), my serpentine belt exploded.

I popped the hood to find the weld on the water pump pulley, that joins the stamped steel pulley to the hub, had completely shattered, leaving pulley flopping in the breeze.

Can I remove/repair/replace just the pulley/hub assembly, or am I stuck replacing another water pump? Any help is appreciated.

 

[Geotrash]

If it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.

Replaced the water pump on my '07 Tahoe 5.3 in April. Got a cheap one on Amazon. Yesterday, on the home after being fired ("laid off"), my serpentine belt exploded.

I popped the hood to find the weld on the water pump pulley, that joins the stamped steel pulley to the hub, had completely shattered, leaving pulley flopping in the breeze.

Can I remove/repair/replace just the pulley/hub assembly, or am I stuck replacing another water pump? Any help is appreciated.

I'm sorry to hear about all of it :-(

To answer your question, the pully isn't sold separately. If you're handy with a welder you might be able to tack it back on, but unfortunately I think you're looking at a new pump. If I still had my old one, I'd send it to you.

 

[Kwing]

I'm sorry to hear about all of it :-(

To answer your question, the pully isn't sold separately. If you're handy with a welder you might be able to tack it back on, but unfortunately I think you're looking at a new pump. If I still had my old one, I'd send it to you.

Yeah, that's the conclusion I came to. I actually thought about firing up the MIG, but the way the weld let go... that metal was toast long ago. If I did weld it, I'd probably spend an hour chasing the crack from the crystallization, and even if I got it to where I thought it would hold, and it was in amyway straight enough to actually work, no way it would last more than a couple weeks before giving way again.

Oh well. You get what you pay for. Being broke is far more expensive than most folks give it credit for.

Thanks for confirming though! Gives me more support to justify the $220 I just spent on a new one 24 hours after losing my income, LOL.

 

[mikez71]

Yup too many risks fixing what must be a bad pump. If bad material or machining, pulley will come off again.

Time for a genuine GM. Can't really recommend Melling. They ship the crappiest thermostat neck. It makes their product feel cheaper. Even if they got them for free, they shouldn't be including them.

I re-used the original neck instead.

Punp has been fine so far, but I feel like the original pump was better quality somehow..

 

[Tonyrodz]

Yup too many risks fixing what must be a bad pump. If bad material or machining, pulley will come off again.

Time for a genuine GM. Can't really recommend Melling. They ship the crappiest thermostat neck. It makes their product feel cheaper. Even if they got them for free, they shouldn't be including them.

I re-used the original neck instead.

Punp has been fine so far, but I feel like the original pump was better quality somehow..

Melling's water pumps AND their oil pumps are becoming a close 2nd.

 

[j91z28d1]

Yup too many risks fixing what must be a bad pump. If bad material or machining, pulley will come off again.

Time for a genuine GM. Can't really recommend Melling. They ship the crappiest thermostat neck. It makes their product feel cheaper. Even if they got them for free, they shouldn't be including them.

I re-used the original neck instead.

Punp has been fine so far, but I feel like the original pump was better quality somehow..

I did a millings too, tossed the t-stat and housing away, got a oem stat and reused the housing.

definitely felt like cheap junk. pump has been good far.

 

[Fless]

Melling's water pumps AND their oil pumps are becoming a close 2nd.

You are a rare bird that spells "Melling" correctly. Kudos!

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Curious if anybody found a pump with changeable pulley? I'm thinking of overdriving my pump.

 

[LsHart]

This got me thinking. Send ur water pump to someone that has warranty on there's and swap it and boom! Warranty!!!

I'm 2000 to 2006 full lifetime warranty. 5.3 waterpump.

Some folks may look down on this but if it helps you out I'm down. I know what it's like not working and need transportation.

 

[LsHart]

What under 30 bucks shipped ground? Depending where u are Just trying to help a brother out

 

[kbuskill]

Curious if anybody found a pump with changeable pulley? I'm thinking of overdriving my pump.

Ok, I'll bite.... why?

 

[Kwing]

This got me thinking. Send ur water pump to someone that has warranty on there's and swap it and boom! Warranty!!!

I'm 2000 to 2006 full lifetime warranty. 5.3 waterpump.

Some folks may look down on this but if it helps you out I'm down. I know what it's like not working and need transportation.

LsHart, I genuinely appreciate the offer, but I'm good . Not because I wouldn't do it, but because the original post was from October of 2024, and if I was still unemployed and the Tahoe was still dead, a water pump would be the least of my concerns, LOL.

Don't get me wrong, the last 2 years have been the worst period of my 41 years, so there are no sunshine and roses over here, but the water pump did get fixed.

Still, thank you!

 

[Doubeleive]

the 2015+ water pumps are a 2 piece design but no way they would ever fit previous years the design is 100% different.
that being said the "pulley" on the 2018 Silverado failed at 36k it was making noise previous to that but thought it was the vacuum pump which sit's right behind it.
I was across town and it started making more noise and so I pulled over and popped the hood to see the water pump pulley wiggling like a wagon wheel about to fall off and somehow managed to limp it to the dealer who replaced it under warranty.
The good thing is if your k2 pump dies in such a manner a new pulley is only about $40
there are no 2 piece pumps for previous gen's that I am aware of, perhaps there could be some kind of aftermarket racing pump or something but I have never seen or heard of one, doesn't mean they do not exist.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Curious if anybody found a pump with changeable pulley? I'm thinking of overdriving my pump.

Ok, I'll bite ... why?

To increase coolant flow at lower RpM?

 

[LsHart]

Lol, hey man just making conversation if anything else.

 

[Doubeleive]

To increase coolant flow at lower RpM?

the system is set to 15 psi and temp is regulated by the thermostat, flow doesn't really matter, well it does but if increased it's just going to run cold and throw codes unless you tune it otherwise
if it is overheating then either it's clogged up or something has failed.
optimal temp needs to be established for air+fuel+spark to work properly, dependent upon ambient temp and altitude.

 

[Fless]

What if increasing coolant flow causes the coolant to move through the radiator too quickly and doesn't transfer the heat out?

 

[Marky Dissod]

What if increasing coolant flow causes the coolant to move through the radiator too quickly and doesn't transfer the heat out?

In order for that to happen, the coolant would already be flowing through the radiator so quickly, that some sort of prior heat transfer limitation has been achieved.
The vast majority of people in the vast majority of circumstances will never achieve this scenario,
certainly never under 50MpH, and even more certainly if the H2Opump happens to be pumping UNDER 50 gallons a minute at that moment
(so, unless one has a very high flowing H2Opump and it also happens to be spinning at least at its max rate at that moment ...)

In other words, 'too much coolant flow through the radiator doesn't transfer the heat out' is an epitome of 'easier said than done'.