88 560 sl problems
 

im new to this forum, but have been an enthusiast for many years, i have a slight problem... im 99.99999% positive that i need a new water pump, its making a god awful sound like a throwout bearing, and my engine is running HOT!!, i took it for a test drive after being stored for a while, and noticed the noise and before i knew it, it began to get hot fast. i pulled it over and it was boiling over and steam was escaping out of the hole on the top of the water pump. i waited for it to cool and drove back home slowly. now heres my question. ive noticed that there was alot of deposits in the connections when i replaced the upper radiator hose yesterday and could this have led to the demise of my water pump? and do i have to worry about my radiator? could the bad pump cause the overheating?

RE: 88 560 sl problems
 

if the water pump is bad, there would be a bad noise coming out from it or the water will continously leak from the hole passage.

test the radiator, and probably the thermostat too.

make sure the auxilliary fan works as well.

those deposits can be found on most cars. same thing clogs the radiator.

once the 117 engine gets overheated, it will give you trouble for the rest of it's life. cylinder head tends to warp, cylinder head bolts thread gets loose (crankcase side), shaking, blowbys, oil/water mixed, etc.

RE: 88 560 sl problems
 

well, i did a quick test and came to the conclusion that both the water pump and radiator are screwed. the coolant continues to get hot real fast and the side tanks on the radiator get real hot and the center are cool and the water pump continues to howl. so both the radiator and water pump are out. awesome!!!! at least i didnt let it overheat.... i should be lucky that those are the only problems and that the rest of the car is in perfect condition. a small price to pay for perfection.

RE: 88 560 sl problems
 

well, i got the radiator out and it is clogged to all hell, im glad that i opted to replace it with the copper radiator years ago so that it can be re cored as where the alluminum ones with the plastic side tanks can not. i also took the belts off for the water pump and it has some end play and some up and down play, i'd have to say about 3mm of play. is this a for sure sign that it's done for?