Vehicle storage and water pumps

Maybe I am just on a bad string of luck but I've had to do two water pumps this week on vehicles that were stored and brought out to use. The first was my son's Jeep Laredo that was upstairs in the barn for two years. I got it out and drove it around at the farm, then I heard a grinding sound and finally saw steam and coolant running out. That pump was $49 at Carquest and I finished that job on Monday. Today I decide to get my Z28 Camero out of my garage after a four year storage. It started right up and I checked all the fluids and took it for a romp around the block, I had forgotten what it was like to drive something so wild..anyway I pulled into my driveway and backed out onto the street in the opposite direction and there was fluid on the pavement..I pulled the pins and lifted the hood and coolant was streaming out of the water pump. That was around 4:30 and by 5:14 I had the old pump on the bench and a new one ordered..$81 at Carquest..and I'll need a jug of prestone. So what should have been put in these vehicles to protect the water pump? I know there was a water pump lubricant on the market at one time..any ideas? First thing in the morning I'll pick up the pump, paint it Chevrolet orange, let it dry and hopefully have it back together by noon

Water pump lube may add some rust inhibitors, but they have limited lube ability. The water pump seals get hard from age and the bearings are sealed.

Kruse wrote... "water pump seals get hard from age"

<img src = "http://www.pump-seal.com/productsimages/waterpumpseal_147001.jpg">
Actually, waterpump seals are HARD even when new... a hard carbon face in contact with a ceramic seat. Not much the to get any harder than it already is when new!

If you surf the 'net a bit for "waterpump failure" a common thread seems to be that silicate particles precipitate out of aged antifreeze and wear out the mechanical seal.

That was a good explanation, I once took apart a small electric pump at work that had been setting awhile and leaked upon start up. The seal was full of a crystalline material, I just cleaned in up real well and put it back together and it was fine, so I recommended leaving it full of clean water when not in use, it had been pumping hydrochloric acid solution. You are right on on seals, mechanical seals are very hard, lip seals are soft!