Those are several good points. There is a small amount of clearance
between the water pump body and rotating impeller blades. Over tightening
the pulley belt will cause uneven wear of the bearing allowing the
impeller to contact the pump body. An easy test is to grab the pulley to
check for any play.
        This type of movement will usually cause the inner seal to fail.
Evident by seepage at the weep hole.
        I have fallen victim to the water pump additive at every coolant
change.
        The metal particles you saw may be signs of stop-leak added by a
previous owner.

Drive Safely & Good Luck
Ken Lewis    <Kernersville,NC
86 VW crewcab;60 356B Coupe
 neksiwel.20m.com

On Tue, 17 Apr 2001 09:57:47 -0300 Jean-Guy Savoie <jgsavoie@NBNET.NB.CA>
writes:
>You bring up an interesting point:
>
>When I changed my coolant last fall I noticed a few metalic specs in
>my
>overflow (the plastic tank thing).  My temp needle is reliably in the
>center
>of the gauge.  Does the presence of these metallic specs mean
>impending
>doom, or is it "normal" for there to be some slight amount of shavings
>in
>the cooling system?  After all, the water pump is metal against metal?
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: kenneth d lewis <kdlewis@JUNO.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Monday, April 16, 2001 8:04 PM
>Subject: water pump failure
>
>
>...
>
>>         Bentley demands that the coolant system be flushed and only
>fresh
>> anti-freeze be used. At first I thought this a ploy to vend parts
>and
>> services. Now I believe this a sound practice because a failed pump
>> contaminates the coolant with metallic bearing particles.
>
>...

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