Water pump fins broke off INSIDE block...

[tsi1991awd]

Six of the eight fins on my old water pump broke off inside the block (replacing water pump, timing belt etc)...was only able to fish out 3 with a magnet. What do I do?? I have not had overheating issues (and this was on a water pump with only 2 fins!)....will the old fins hit the new ones and f*ck everything all up or what? Again, havent had any overheating issues in the past.

 

[blackrosenova40]

See if you can plug where the inlet of the water pump is (the pipe), then try and force water through the cooling system to pop the fins out.

Or do something similar to that nature.

 

[Beemer92]

More than likely the fins that broke off will eventually work themselve's down to "eat" your new waterpump. At least thats the luck I have. Try using some mechanical fingers, and either a borescope with a very good light, or a small inspection mirror with a very bright led, or halogen light. Good luck, and keep us posted. Josh

 

[brassc2007]

try taking a hose and pushing water through the motor so it comes out where the water pump is the pressure might be able to push them back out.

 

[My1GLaser]

If you can't get enough pressure with a hose then you can try suction with a Shop-vac. Not a little POS 2.5 gal one, but a good size shop vac that really pulls some air. Don't know how good it will work if they are stuck around the cooling jacket.

Actually, I have one at work that you can turn into a blower also. If you put the end on it that tapers down to 1", it blows some serious air. I don't know if that will be excessive or could blow the pieces up into the head passages, so maybe wait for someone else to chime in...

 

[tsi1991awd]

These are the flat triangle pieces. There are 2 attached to the water pump still and we have 4 of them out. So there are 2 somewhere else. I dont know how big the passages in the head are but these are not tiny pieces.

 

[Beemer92]

Was thinking about this all weekend. What if you put some compressed air the water jacket/s that are in question. It can get much higher than a shop-vac. Or even better would be a combo of water pressure, and air pressure. Make sure you have a regulator on the air compressor, and watch out for flying metal.

 

[DSM AWD TSI]

You should really get them all out. Even if you think they are so stuck / lost in the block that they will never get out, you never know what combination of a speed bump while making a right turn or what have you will cause the pieces to get dislodged and mess up your new water pump.

 

[costas14]

A big shop vac and an air compressor and hmmmm your screwed, try blowing air in from the the inlet on the tranny side and then put the shop vac on reverse to suck from the water pump side. that should do it, if now idk they could be jammed in the head or in the water ports in the block but those are really small. dont put it back together without getting those 2 out.

 

[costas14]

well if the new water pump has metal fins then ## good, so say u hit a bump and they end up in the new water pump well maybe theyll just get stuck and urll hear a weird noise and take it home and pull of the pump and bingo there are the old fins. bad thing is urll need a new water pump but hey at least u got them

 

[redyute1]

Aint no way those fins can cause any damage,before the make their way to the w/pump they need to go back to the radiator cause the pump will push them away,and thats where they will stay,in the radiator.

 

[tsi1991awd]

Dumb question but can I drain the radiator, take thermostat out and take the lower hose off and run a water hose through the t-stat housing and turn the car on? That way the pump will push the water out and I can see if the fins come out? Or maybe theyre already in the radiator and I can get them out of the lower hole

 

[Beemer92]

Sounds like you've got a good idea. Me personally though, I would not have the car running. But I would definately take out the thermosat, and flush the system with a radiator flush kit. Most auto parts stores have them for pretty cheap. The only bad thing that could happen that I can think of, is that your radiator is going to keep them, or the new water pump is gonna get it. Good luck.

 

[Spoolin18]

What brand of pump was this?

 

[velocitysport31]

Pull the water pipe out, and thermostat it probably wouldn't get past the thermostat, maybe its just sitting in the water pipe.

 

[tsi1991awd]

This was an OEM pump and it looked like it had not been changed in a long time. This could have been like this since I bought the car. The radiator was leaking when I bought it, switched to an aluminum radiator. Changed thermostat etc etc. The other pieces could be in the old radiator orrrr.....no clue.