Cost of replacing the water pump on a Ford Taurus - Mercury Sable?

Answer 1

just finished replacing pump/belt today on my 93 Ford Taurus, belt cost about $24, pump $26, antifreeze, gasket, and sealant, $25. takes 20-30 minutes 30-45 with allot of rust to get it off, u have to take all 11 screws off water pump and to do that u must also take some of the other pulleys off and tilt over the alternator on the hinge, once off use a scraper to get any factory sealant off and clean the surface the best you can, use brake cleaner it helps. next do a thin bead of sealant around the water pump, place gasket over it then put another bead on the gasket, put pump back on, add antifreeze, the end, u saved $300. 93 Ford Taurus isn't worthy f a garage that charges $100-$150 an hour. I would classify this as an intermediate job, you need a bit of elbow grease to get the bolts off, and need to know what an engine is.

its about $600.00 at Pep Boys (includes belts, coolant, labor, tax)

Unless you want to do it yourself:

• $20 - Repair manual- cause I like the pretty pictures and information about the entire car in one place
• $65 - water pump**
• $20 - anti-freeze
• $30 - cheapie toolset - long term investement

Even with buying tools and parts this adds up to $135, less than $85 if you already have a manual and tools.

Hmmmm... *Now* I remember why I do as many of my own repairs as I can!

**Price of the pump will vary by engine, model year, and when the question is being asked.

A few suggested pricing references: Autozone.com AdvanceAuto.com and my new favorite: RockAuto.com

See "Related Questions" below for more

AnswerI have a 94 3.0. The pump at autozone is 21.99. A local shop wants to charge 247.00 for parts and labor. Figuring Costs...The cost of replacing a part is a very general question that unless specified exactly is hard to answer.

• First, is who is replacing the part? Is the Dealer, an independent repair shop, a junkyard, the guy next door or you doing the replacement. These will all yield different prices. Not to mention that within all of these will be different labor rates and different part price mark ups.
• Second, what is the quality of the part? Is it a name brand, generic (white box, economy), OEM or used part? All of these will be different. Price will even differ between name brands, sometimes significantly.
• Thirdly, What is the warranty of the part and who is offering the warranty (the shop the parts house or the manufacturer). Limited Lifetime will have restrictions. Lifetime warranty isn�t always the best part either.
• Fourthly, Each vehicle can have different options that will affect how long it takes to change a part or make it call for a different part. Such as heavy duty cooling system, air conditioning, 4x4�s may have a steel plate that may need removal, Automatic or manual transmission, the list goes on.
• Fifthly, What additional parts will be required? Long life coolant or standard coolant, R12 or R134a air conditioning freon if it needs to be discharged or replaced? Additional adapters other fluids that may need to be added or changed? All of this will affect price.
• Sixthly, is the car a new car or an older car? Labor manuals or guides are set up based on a new car. Additional time may be required due to seized or rusted bolts, additional aftermarket accessories that were installed etc.

So you can see where there is a great potential for variances.

I offer this insight: If you take it to an independent garage like I always recommend, consider how long they have been in business. What is the quality of there work, are they honest? (see the FAQ how do you choose an auto repair shop for additional insights).