Thanks for the write-up!! If I can't get this done under warranty I'll tackle it myself.
Was this preventative maintenance or did your waterpump fail?
You're welcome.
This was done as preventative maintenance although I did suspect I had a VVT problem (I did) that would also require the same tear-down, so I went for it for both peace of mind and troubleshooting reasons.
In looking at the old and new water pumps, I saw no change in the seals unless the material is different. The only change that is obvious is the number of impellers with new pumps having more - both types are still plastic.
IMHO, the main problem is unlikely to be the pump outer seals anyway, but is almost certainly the water pump bushing failing over time as it is under tension from the timing chain. There are pictures on the web of catastrophic failure in this engine where the impeller actually came into contact with the timing chain cover and sent impeller pieces flying. That scenario would lead one to believe the bushing is likely the weak link.
Given that Mazda and Ford both charge a $25 core charge to encourage you to return the pump for refurbishing, I suspect they are pressing in a new bushing and impeller assembly while changing out the outer seals. In my case, the outer seals were intact with only one questionable hot spot. Again I had no leaks before replacement and the bushing and sprocket had no play in them at all. I actually toyed with the idea of putting the original pump back in, but the seals were crushed pretty well after 8 years, so I did not.
In short, yes, you'll likely have to still watch for signs of leakage and change the pump again in another 70k miles. I know that's the path I am following.