Replacing The Water Pump?

[meddle]

Im getting a new timing belt thrown on my car tomorrow. Im kinda short on cash right now having just bought the car and getting caught up on bills after spring semester so I really cant afford to do the water pump like you are supposed to when you get the timing belt replaced. I assume the reason you get the water pump replaced at the same time is because its in the same area or something but these are my questions.

Is replacing the water pump something I can do on my own when its necessary?

What exactly does the water pump do? I mean does it just pump the water for the windshield fluid or something more crucial.

If it were to fail before I got around to replacing it, would it be a catastrophic thing?

Sorry, I really dont know a whole hell of a lot about cars right now. So just bear with my newbie questions.

[JPI]

Here is the answer again. When you replace your timing belt you should replace your water pump at the same time. Your timing belt drives the water pump to cirrculate coolant through the engine. If you are asking these questions I WOULD SUGGEST YOU NOT TO DO THIS ON YOUR OWN. Once you are in there it would be wise to replace your cam seals also. Pay someone to do this.

JPI

[meddle]

No reason to get rude man.

I am perfectly able to learn how to do this on my own, and I have access to a good garage if I need any help. I was just looking for a little information about it and I didnt think a group of enthusiasts about the car I just bought would mind.

Disclaimer: JPI: DONT READ THE FOLLOWING!

Ok, so the timing belt drives the water pump which feeds coolant throughout the engine. Would it be obvious that it failed (a warning light or noticable change in the car) or would it be something that would go unnoticed and damage the car?

[K9crew]

meddle,

The water pump issue is kind of a gamble. By changing it when you change the timing belt you hope to save on labor costs. If you plan on doing the work yourself and you're strapped for cash then you could always do the water pump at a later date. Don't forget, changing the timing belt is a factory recommended maintenance item ... changing the water pump isn't! A water pump could last 120,000 miles or it could fail after 20 miles on a brand new car. Many water pumps fail due to a lack of proper maintenance i.e. draining and flushing the cooling system every year or two. If your water pump does fail then hopefully you'll notice the coolant temp climbing rapidly BEFORE the engine overheats to the point of damaging the block.

:)

[JPI]

I'm not being rude by no mean. Just trying to help lexus owners as much as I can since I know lexus inside out. If you decided to do this by yourself, it would be a fun project. Don't forget to change the O rings also

[meddle]

Alright, thanks a lot guys.