i have a 2001 3.0 ford ranger. i have replaced the water pump, fan clutch, alternator, power steering pump, and belt tensioner . the water pump has failed 3 times. third time i bought a brand new motor craft water pump and fan clutch. every time i have replaced pumps i have replaced the belt also. i keep getting a chirping sound from the belt. the belt seems very tight. its very hard to get it on and off with the tensioner pulled all the way down. ive got some kind of issue that keeps killing pumps. anyone have any ideas? i thought it was the tensioner but even after replacing it there was no change.

 

Are you sure you have the right size belt? Once you release tension on the belt.. it should be pretty loose and come off easily.

 

You need to use sand paper or emory cloth on all the pulleys before installing a new belt.
A slipping belt "glazes" a pulley each time it slips, this is like ice for a tire, it promotes more slipping and more glazing.
Installing a new belt doesn't remove the glazed areas, just like switching tires wouldn't remove the ice on the road, lol.


How are the water pumps failing?

Leaking out the weep hole?
Bearing wearing out early from misaligned pulleys

Reduced cooling because impeller blades are being eaten away?
electrolysis eating away the blades

 

just ran it down to my uncle's garage and he believes the pulleys are misaligned and suggested a gator belt. yes the water pump bearings wear out real fast and i usually notice the weep hole leaking about a month before there is play in the bearings .

 

Then I would say your uncle is correct, you have a misalignment

 

ok so bad news. gatorback belt did nothing. replaced the idler pulley just because it was the only other thing left to replace. do you think its possible that its a noisy camshaft synchronizer? there is no chirp at startup. you have to drive it til the engine is warm and i only here the noise while coasting or slowing down. so pretty much when the engine isnt working hard it chirps.

 

The 3.0l syncronizer should be replaced every 100k miles, or if it starts to make a noise.
But that wouldn't explain your past water pump issues.

Have you double checked the belt routing around the pulleys?

Put a straight edge across the pulleys you can test, the pulley's edges need to touch the straight edge and each other, NO gap