Need water pump answers please!

[02EX_PSD]

We were getting ready to go out of town for the weekend and I have had a pesty belt chirp for the last few days so I decided to pull my belt off and inspect it and the idler pulleys to see what was going on. I grabbed ahold of the cooling fan and noticed about a 1/4 inch of play in the water pump shaft. Is this normal for a 7.3? Am I getting ready to spend the weekend replacing a water pump? How big of a job is it?

 

[powerboatr]

1/4 is a bit to much of the wobbly stuff
is it leaking yet????

it aint that hard but will take about 4hrs if you have never done it.

you can rent the wide flat wrench from auotzone if you are not close to someone who has one.

shop around for $$$, its wide and varied. My last one i used an autozone duralast and it had around 80k on it when i sold the truck, worked just fine.

good time to back flush your block and change all new antifreeze as well

 

[02EX_PSD]

Just got back in town - Had to drive the wife's vehicle.
I was looking around on the different parts sites and noticed that the aftermarket offers a pump with a cast-in lower hose mount instead of the bolt on type. Has anyone tried that or is that typical of the replacements? One more question before I start ripping stuff apart: Is the fan installed "righty-tighty, lefty-loosy" or is it backwards from that?

 

[bartman]

My brother put on an aftermarket pump with the cast elbow instead of the more expensive International factory replacement piece. It began leaking from the weep hole within a few weeks. The pump as a lifetime warranty, but the time required to swap it out is not worth the discounted price to me.

 

[02EX_PSD]

Figures. I just got back from the NAPA store and bought a "new" water pump with the cast-in neck. I found cheaper pumps out there but figured NAPA would stand behind their stuff and have had good luck with their parts before.
Hopefully I won't run into any problems with it.
Thanks for everyones input. I will post once I get it all done.

 

[bartman]

I'm sure you will have a better experience than my brother. His life journey always seems to be uphill.

 

[02EX_PSD]

Well, all done. I think the worst part was removing the fan (especially when you can't figure out how to use the tool properly. A little instruction later and "poof", it worked like magic!)
The motor even sounds better. I guess that flopping water pump shaft was in a rhythm with the dieseling and I didn't even notice.
Thanks for everyone's input.