[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

My 2001 Ford F150 with a 5.4 has 221k miles on the clock. Other than routine maintenance (belts, hoses, plugs, cops, fuel pump, shocks, ball joints, etc), I've replaced an alternator at about 130k miles and had the trans rebuilt at 190k miles. This motor just keeps going and going and going.

Would you change the water pump? What else?

On a side note, I was stuck in traffic tonight and noticed a red temp light on. Looked at the temp gauge and it was pegged in the red. Pulled off the highway, turned off the engine for 10 minutes and all was good when I started it back up. Made a bee line for a gas station and put some water in, but not much. Drove another 25 miles home in stop and go traffic without a problem.

In your case you have a problem, so the answer is NOW. Definitely troubleshoot the cooling system, if there's not a leak it's very likely you need a water pump or thermostat.

I'm pretty OCD on preventative maintenance, I do all of the maintenance by the book and will replace common wear items prematurely as well. Suspension is probably the biggest refresh item for me, it won't strand you but it certainly impacts the way your car drives.