I have an 08 Taurus X with a leaking water pump, so that any coolant going in comes immediately out the weep hole by the alternator. The car has 280,000 miles and a small front bumper collision, so clearly not worth the new water pump. I was wondering if anyone ever tried just plugging the weep hole, relying on the second o ring seal at the water pump. Worst case seems to be the second o ring fails and the coolant mixes with the oil, ruining the engine. Best case is maybe I can go 25,000 miles before that happens (the first o ring lasted 280k!). Thoughts? I was thinking of removing the thermostat to prevent back pressure at cold starts.