I am leaving on a long trip and wondering about my water pump. I have a 1998 1/2 cummins with 193,000 miles on it. The pump is original, is it time to replace it? No problems just concerned about problems on the road. Getting radiator flushed, thermostat replaced, and hoses in a couple of days. Should I get pump too? How long do these pumps normally last?

 

Have one with 444K and one with 254K and they both still have the original pump. Did buy a spare from Advance, lifetime warranty and about $60. Been in the toolbox for a long time.

 

mine is at 247000 and still going

 

So far 260k.

 

You might just see if there's any play in the bearing (move the pully with a prybar). If so, then replace it. If not, then I wouldn't even worry about it. You can change it on the roadside fairly easy. That's one of the easier repairs

 

If it's not broke, don't jack w/it.
knocking on wood....206k

 

300,000 and still going touch wood

 

516,000kms on an orginal, thats 322,500miles

as mentioned above, remove belt and spin by hand checking for noise and roughness, also any play in the bearing,
I would be more concerned about the tensioner.... as the idler wheel will wear out, causing the belt to shift and shread,
here are a couple pics for your viewing pleasure,
the gates tensioner comes with a steel idler, the dayco version looks like OEM but the idler wheel is freaking near square

the gates is beefier looking compared to OEM, this OEM tensioner was on the 2nd idler wheel as the first was wore out




this pulley is from a 3rd gen with just over 300,000kms and the orginal belt! speaking of belts DONT get DAyco as its junk, the goodyr gator back lasts and does not give that annoying chirp when you shut down your engine

 

seen them leak at 60,000 and still going at 300,000+ just buy a spare ,keep it with you. with a couple tools its a 10 min. job to replace

 

bearings last a long time but the fins that move the coolant wear out and move less. I have seen it, replace my good pump several years ago and the fin size from old to new was astonishing.

 

we have a case backhoe with a Cummins, the water pump looks just like the one in your Dodge, it lasted 30 years.

it took 5 minutes to change, 10 minutes to find my socket i dropped in the dirt.