On my way home tonight and just blocks from my house a sudden high pitch squealing started. It started slow and thought it was brakes, but then it got louder and constant. I pulled over and popped the hood and boy what a racket. Right away I noticed the water pump wasn't turning. Quickly I got back in, got a rolling start, shift to N and then shut the engine off and luckly was able to coast downhill the rest of the way.
Question 1) Is the water pump dead, or could it somehow be jamed/stuck?
Question 2) If needing replacement is the job easy, annoying, hard? Keep in mind I've replaced lots so far if u have read my other posts. Just curious as to what others think of this job.

Wait after watching a video on changing the water pump I'm actually confused. The water pump may not be what was making the noise, but the little pulley just above the pump. Is that pulley just there for tension? It was what I noticed not spinning first and pretty hot to the touch. Is that replaceable?

 

If it was the water pump, you would know, did you truck over heat?

the tensioner pulley could be the problem. what I would do is, leave the truck off, take the belt off, and try to turn all of them (besides the crank shaft pulley) and try to determine which one is the problem.

Also, what year, make and model is your truck?

But, if your water pump was that bad, to the point of it locking up, your truck would have shown signs, over heating ect.

 

Its a 98 chevy blazer. And I think it may be the idler pulley, but like u said I gotta check them. And I saw no signs of water leak or overheating, boy i'll be glad if it's the simple idler pulley

 

Take the belt of and check idler pulleys. If it's that and you catch it in time you might save the belt. Most of the time the pulley comes with the bearing for about the same price.
Mine went but the local parts guy only had the bearing.
Attached Thumbnails

 

So I lossened the belt and was able to spin the idler counterclockwise, but kinda gritty sounds, and when trying to spin clockwise it only spins so far before stopping

Little update, i took the pulley off and it did spin in my hand so as a make sure I put it back on real quick, tightened it and it wouldn't spin. All other pulleys spun fine and freely and when I took the idler off again it would no longer spin in my hand.

What happens when ball bearings die
[ATTACH][/ATTACH]