Here is a data point from Southern Cal.

I just had the water pump fail. Unfortunately it came immediately after a head gasket job, right on the drive home!

When it rains, it pours.

The new pump was a Laso, plus new belt, and the seal at the oil filter housing (a real PITA) was $687. Labor was 5 hours @ $65/hr.

The indie said he gave me a slight break because it happened so soon after the $1686 head gasket job.

The real question is whether to have changed the pump out while everything was already apart or bolt back on a (seemingly) perfectly good working water pump. The indie said it is not like you save all 5 hours of water pump labor if you did it with the head gasket. Save maybe half the labor. My indie is of the opinion, "if it works, leave it alone". Some pumps last 50k, some pumps last 150k.

In hind sight, considering the hassle and time to limp back to the indie (with 6 gallons of water in my trunk), the actual time for the repair, picking up the car, etc., I should of had the pump done with the head gasket.

glenmore
1991 300CE