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Water Pump Recall

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should I be concerned?

Building my own truck sleeper berth

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Again, why chance it? For me, I'd much rather replace it than have it let me down on the road. With the noise from a diesel you can't tell when the bearing is getting noisy and ready to fail. Yes mine was still smooth, but for how long? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
 
Again, why chance it? For me, I'd much rather replace it than have it let me down on the road. With the noise from a diesel you can't tell when the bearing is getting noisy and ready to fail. Yes mine was still smooth, but for how long? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Do you know the replacement wasn't an older defective one? Are the improved ones even available?
 
I cannot get to mine now but the date of Manufacture is 5/17 so outside 2/28/2017. I'll try to look later to check for the weep hole.
 
I tried to call and schedule a replacement water pump install under the recall listed above and the dealer said they had no idea about that specific recall so they would only replace it under a warrantied failure. The service person brought up my VIN and said there was nothing on my 2014 2500. Two questions: Would they have the recall info from RAM yet and is it specific to all Cummins trucks produced those MY or only SOME of them had the defective pump?
I'm towing my TH this weekend and would rather not be stranded or have a car-be-q.
Thanks!
 
ProLean,so the process has gone like this NHTSA Order NEF-150SM Campaign number 17V-562 notifed FCA to recall.FCA responded with a letter of intent to repair rather than contest.So FCA has stated to the NHTSA that it will notify service managers by Sept the 29th.And with a repair date to start around Nov. 9, 2017.Also since most dealership are carrying the current designed water pump it may or may not be the replacement pump Cummins will used.England vendor Concentric INC produces the said pump for Cummins.Cummins may have decided to redesign based on previous pump failures submitted for warranty since 2013-2017.There could be a replacement design being approved by NTSHA because now that the goverment has gotten involved it will have to be approved by them as well.So all in stock may have to go bye-bye. After talking with Cummins tech's they seem to be not to worried in that a pending failure will be a slight coolant leak noticed on the ground below the truck if it is a weep based design water pump,Concentric also made a no-weep hole design pumps as well. You have to locate this weep hole rather small located next to the base of the water pump located at the 6 oclock position so that when it starts to fail the design was to allow the water coolant to drip right off the front accessory drive plate (black in color) and run straight down to the ground.Good luck with this method because it being so hot I doubt you will have seen it.The other failure sign would be you start your truck look parallel to the fan spining and watch the pulley of the pump it it looks just the slightest out of track.Take to dealership ASAP,because alot of damage could occur if this shaft and pulley fail,this seems to be the main reason for NTSHA to getting involved.I have no data to support a water pump impeller shaft axle starts to deflect and destory. I suspect something that causing the bearings to no longer support the axle of the impeller at the spin speeds that the pump is being call to do_Or the belt tension may be to high and this is causing the impeller axle and bearings to over heat and fail.A rather simple design,but yet there are so many dynamic loads being put on the bearings.A self sealed bearing race pushing all of its grease into the coolant track of the pump and then showing up in the coolant reservoir coating the sides of the reservoir.This has been one theory out there among Cummins techs is that they notice a foreign substance in the reservoir and have been tracking these findings on a engineering network with- in Ram tech support.One thing that was stated by FCA that if anyone has replaced their water pump's in the effected MY years,to keep all documents where it was a dealership or a on the spot repair by a automotive repair shop.That FCA will review and reimburse such owners.So trucks with a built date of 10/24/2012 (start of production for 2013) to 02/28/2017,will be repaired or reimburse.This document is what a district rep showed me at the Texas state Fair,because alot of Ram owners were asking show personnel about it in which they no nothing about and some of the Ram personnel from Aulburn Hills was present.The said document was a Part 573 Safety Recall Report a 17V-562.One thing that was interesting was that out of 443,712 that could be effected only less than 1 percent were to be likely effected or defectective.You can also call RAM Customer service at 800-853-1403 for any more update to this information,because as we all know this is all subject to change based on what Cummins is going to do.And what FCA will agree to do as well through it dealer network.This recall is going on at the same time a S85 is being completed as well.So with a limited amount of quailfied Cummins Tech at each dealership it will be by appointment most likely with well once the Service campaign number is issued only then will we see if a car rental is entitled and shop labor rate is claimed,and if most dealerships have enough water coolant avail to because this will require draining coolant as well,truck to cool off etc...Possible belt replacement at the time of inspection.
 
ProLean,so the process has gone like this NHTSA Order NEF-150SM Campaign number 17V-562 notifed FCA to recall.FCA responded with a letter of intent to repair rather than contest.So FCA has stated to the NHTSA that it will notify service managers by Sept the 29th.And with a repair date to start around Nov. 9, 2017.Also since most dealership are carrying the current designed water pump it may or may not be the replacement pump Cummins will used.

England vendor Concentric INC produces the said pump for Cummins.Cummins may have decided to redesign based on previous pump failures submitted for warranty since 2013-2017.There could be a replacement design being approved by NTSHA because now that the goverment has gotten involved it will have to be approved by them as well.So all in stock may have to go bye-bye.

After talking with Cummins tech's they seem to be not to worried in that a pending failure will be a slight coolant leak noticed on the ground below the truck if it is a weep based design water pump,Concentric also made a no-weep hole design pumps as well. You have to locate this weep hole rather small located next to the base of the water pump located at the 6 oclock position so that when it starts to fail the design was to allow the water coolant to drip right off the front accessory drive plate (black in color) and run straight down to the ground.

Good luck with this method because it being so hot I doubt you will have seen it.The other failure sign would be you start your truck look parallel to the fan spining and watch the pulley of the pump it it looks just the slightest out of track.Take to dealership ASAP,because alot of damage could occur if this shaft and pulley fail,this seems to be the main reason for NTSHA to getting involved.

I have no data to support a water pump impeller shaft axle starts to deflect and destory. I suspect something that causing the bearings to no longer support the axle of the impeller at the spin speeds that the pump is being call to do_Or the belt tension may be to high and this is causing the impeller axle and bearings to over heat and fail.A rather simple design,but yet there are so many dynamic loads being put on the bearings.

A self sealed bearing race pushing all of its grease into the coolant track of the pump and then showing up in the coolant reservoir coating the sides of the reservoir.This has been one theory out there among Cummins techs is that they notice a foreign substance in the reservoir and have been tracking these findings on a engineering network with- in Ram tech support.

One thing that was stated by FCA that if anyone has replaced their water pump's in the effected MY years,to keep all documents where it was a dealership or a on the spot repair by a automotive repair shop.That FCA will review and reimburse such owners.So trucks with a built date of 10/24/2012 (start of production for 2013) to 02/28/2017,will be repaired or reimburse.This document is what a district rep showed me at the Texas state Fair,because alot of Ram owners were asking show personnel about it in which they no nothing about and some of the Ram personnel from Aulburn Hills was present.

The said document was a Part 573 Safety Recall Report a 17V-562.One thing that was interesting was that out of 443,712 that could be effected only less than 1 percent were to be likely effected or defectective.You can also call RAM Customer service at 800-853-1403 for any more update to this information,because as we all know this is all subject to change based on what Cummins is going to do.And what FCA will agree to do as well through it dealer network.This recall is going on at the same time a S85 is being completed as well.

So with a limited amount of quailfied Cummins Tech at each dealership it will be by appointment most likely with well once the Service campaign number is issued only then will we see if a car rental is entitled and shop labor rate is claimed,and if most dealerships have enough water coolant avail to because this will require draining coolant as well,truck to cool off etc...Possible belt replacement at the time of inspection.

Tried to make post more readable. SnoKing
 
Thanks for the information. So what I get from that is they don't really know how many will fail out of the 44k units produced but that only 1% of them have a defective pump? I have MaxCare on it so Im not THAT worried but I know there could be significant collateral damage and inconvenience if there were to be a failure while towing especially. I guess we wait and see who gets the notice from RAM.
I changed my pump several times on my 06 3rd gen and was hoping for better luck this time. :{
 
In the recall report, https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RCLRPT-17V562-4418.PDF, the NHTSA references that the “Concentric water pump without the vent hole” as being the pump subject to the recall.

We searched the Geno’s Garage inventory (Mopar 68210961AA and Cummins 4309429) to look for the absence of the vent hole. We looked at an employee’s ‘16 Ram truck for the same vent hole.

Here is a picture of what we believe to be a good pump (Mopar 68210961AA and Cummins 4309429). This pump has the vent hole.

WaterPumpSmall.gif


This vent hole is not to be confused with a water pump weep hole. The water pump weep hole on both the ’16 Ram truck and our “good” (Mopar 68210961AA and Cummins 4309429) is at the 6 o’clock position (not shown in the photo). What is shown in the photo is a “vent hole” at the 11 o’clock for, what we assume, is a good pump.

Again, the ’16 Ram truck we inspected did not have the 11 o’clock vent hole. Our guess is the ’16 Ram truck’s pump will be a part of the recall.

It is our guess that the 11 o’clock vent hole is the identification mark that will be used in the field.
 
My 2015 Water Pump

Here is a picture of my mid year build of a 2015. I do not see a vent hole. I do question why you say 11 o'clock statement. Given the the left bolt is at about 7 -7:30 O'clock and right bolt is 1-1:30 O'clock as the pump is mounted on the engine, I would say the hole in your picture is 9-10 O'clock.

FYI, I see no vent hole in mine!

SnoKing

IMG_20171002_160057.jpg
 
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Great! Weep holes, vent holes. A-holes...... really confused now. The PDF says dates built to 2/28/2017. Mine is 5/17 on drivers door frame. Looking at my water pump, it is totally configured differently than any of the pictured pumps posted here. It most definitely does not have a vent hole at the 11:00 position but it also does not have the shoulder similar. There are some numbers that I cannot make out but two large letters at the top front look like AG or C. Just confused.
Mine has no flange/shoulder. Not able to upload an image so go to #ad
if you want to see mine.
 
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Thank-you Snowking,after years of reading tech manuals I fine it really hard to type and explain it.I just am not convince after seeing so many of these water pumps,with osculation at the pulley after the belt is unloaded from the pulley,that what is causing the shaft failure.I am wondering what inside makes these 2 different from each other? Weep verus vent/weep..Since this is a vendor issue, I am not sure if in 2013 Concentric designed it completely different, meaning in material used for bearings,bearing housing coating?.I have seen some at some dealerships after visiting 3 now where they the tech's describe it as a lost of bearing grease,then bearing failure then axle shaft deflection/osculation then causing a collapse of the pulley.Then allowing the belt to come off at a high speed and damaging other vital cooling system's components.Or is it because belt loading and unloading is controlled by the tensioner,is it the tensioner applying to much tension on the belt which is applying that force to the pulley shaft then to the axle shaft support bearings.I am still leaning on the theory that the grease is not staying in the bearing house and that the grease is being forced out into the coolant channel of the impeller.And that a vent hole was designed maybe to equalize the pressure against the shaft seal holding the grease on one side of the shaft.?
 
Thank-you Snowking,after years of reading tech manuals I fine it really hard to type and explain it.I just am not convince after seeing so many of these water pumps,with osculation at the pulley after the belt is unloaded from the pulley,that what is causing the shaft failure.I am wondering what inside makes these 2 different from each other? Weep verus vent/weep..Since this is a vendor issue, I am not sure if in 2013 Concentric designed it completely different, meaning in material used for bearings,bearing housing coating?.I have seen some at some dealerships after visiting 3 now where they the tech's describe it as a lost of bearing grease,then bearing failure then axle shaft deflection/osculation then causing a collapse of the pulley.Then allowing the belt to come off at a high speed and damaging other vital cooling system's components.Or is it because belt loading and unloading is controlled by the tensioner,is it the tensioner applying to much tension on the belt which is applying that force to the pulley shaft then to the axle shaft support bearings.I am still leaning on the theory that the grease is not staying in the bearing house and that the grease is being forced out into the coolant channel of the impeller.And that a vent hole was designed maybe to equalize the pressure against the shaft seal holding the grease on one side of the shaft.?

In general, water pump failures are due to seal failures which leads to bearing failures, which leads to shaft failure and thus on our trucks leads to more catastrophic damage due to the extra HD torque of the mighty Cummins.

Just my .02.
 
Great! Weep holes, vent holes. A-holes...... really confused now. The PDF says dates built to 2/28/2017. Mine is 5/17 on drivers door frame. Looking at my water pump, it is totally configured differently than any of the pictured pumps posted here. It most definitely does not have a vent hole at the 11:00 position but it also does not have the shoulder similar. There are some numbers that I cannot make out but two large letters at the top front look like AG or C. Just confused.
Mine has no flange/shoulder. Not able to upload an image so go to #ad
if you want to see mine.




Really nothing to be confused about, you will either be in the recall or you won't.
 
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I wonder if the FCA fix will consist of just drilling a vent hole in your water pump instead of replacing it.....:eek::-laf....I'm joking.....I think.

Sam
 
I wonder if the FCA fix will consist of just drilling a vent hole in your water pump instead of replacing it.....:eek::-laf....I'm joking.....I think.

Sam



Sure a lot of speculation about something out of our control unless we want to just go ahead ,and change out our water pump ourselves .
 
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