Water pump repair - how long? revisited

[300holst]

Car = 1986 300E

Thank you to all who replied on my question about how long I could let a noisy water pump go before serious problems happened.

I did check the tensioner and shock as suggested and they seemed ok.
The shop who replaced the pump confirmed this.

Those who said the problem would get worse exponentially were right. The noise rapidly got louder until I was reluctant to drive the car.

It was snowing and freezing and that's not my idea of a time to do this particular job in the driveway. A shade tree mechanic has got to have some shade, right?

I took the car to a local indy who has a good reputation. They replaced the pump, the heater tube, all radiator hoses, coolant, and the thermostat. The bill was pretty stiff, $715 but now I can use the car again. It is much quieter!! They charged $385 labor and $318 parts.

I have a question about the antifreeze they used which is in a separate posting. Thanks for all the advice!