Hyundai Repair: hyndai accent 2001, engine cranks, aluminum head

Question
Water pump leaks and was driven to the point of over heating, I am about to have the car brought to my house to work on it. what should I do first in the way of testing. I am pretty capable do it your self mechanice but mostly on my 98 blazer. any sugestions will be helpful Ian

Answer
If the car starts and runs normally (briefly), you may want to start with a compression test.  The aluminum head on this engine is very easily damaged by overheating.

Presuming the compression test yields good results, I'd say to go ahead and replace the water pump and thermostat.  You'll need to remove the timing belt to replace the water pump, so you might consider replacing the timing and drive belts with the repair.

If the engine cranks (especially with low or no compression) but will not start, or if it only with difficulty, or if the engine runs poorly (misfiring) when started, you should expect that the cylinder head is warped beyond repair, and that you'll need to repalce the cylinder head.  If replacing the head, be sure to check the flatness of the block and the cylinder walls for damage while the head is off.