Time: 1-2 hrs

Difficulty: Moderate

Cost: $80-150 (water pump brand and coolant)

A FAULTY WATER PUMP

At idle, this vehicle had a rough bearing noise coming from the engine compartment that changed with engine RPM. By removing the drive belt, I was able to isolate the noise to the water pump by rotating individual pulleys. 

TACKLING THE JOB

This is a fairly involved job, but doing it yourself can save a ton of money. Make sure you're prepared with a floor jack and all the parts and tools you'll need before you get started. 

While an experienced mechanic can do this job in about an hour, it would be smart to block off about half a day. You'll be draining the coolant and removing the upper engine mount, drive belt, and alternator to gain access. That may be intimidating for some, but it's just a job made up of smaller jobs. Work through it one step at a time and you'll come out saving money and gaining experience!

This video demonstrates the replacement of a water pump on a 2007 Toyota RAV4, 4 cylinder, 2.4L