I've a lot of mechanic experience but I'm a little stumped right now. I've a 94' Ranger splash, with the 4.0 (always) w/185k. I've already replaced the thermostat and the sending unit and had the radiator rodded out (because I used leakfix for the heater core) The truck is still heating up when I push it in 3rd, or climing mountains. Not really excessively, but I let it cool down before it gets to hot. All I've got left to replace is the water pump. I'm afraid the impeller has broken loose from the shaft and is only spinning by way of limited contact. Anyone any experience with a similar experience? I'm not loosing water and still have good power (yet not quite 100% yet). Littleman

Every time I have ever known a water pump to have impeller problems I could easily hear the rattle inside the cab. I wonder if this is even possible... but if you have an automatic transmission, could the fluid be getting so hot that it is heating your antifreeze? Also, if the antifreeze is not diluted with enough water, it will make it run hot. One last thing, did you put a cooler thermostat in it at some point? Someone once told me that if you do not have enough restriction to the flow, the detention time in the radiator decreases, thus not cooling to its full potential. (I always thought it would just run too cool). Is the engine running too lean? Is the timing too far advanced? Do you have any bubbling coming up through the radiator when its running? Ryan

When the water pump went on my 96 2.3 with 110k, it was leaking coolant daily. Nothing major, but usually just a drip drip intermittantly. It would seem you have done nearly everything else though, and apparently its an easy job. I'm lazy and had pepboys do it, and it was like 200. "Ryan W." <