Mine feels really tight. Smooth, but tight.

 

year make and model...in general it should not move since the belt or belt pulley is "jamming it" for tight friction to turn it.

 

2004S The pump is off of the car.

 

i think it should spin freely with ease.

 

That's what I'm thinking. Mine sure doesn't.......

 

Good thing you have it out before things go bad like HG.

 

I have a brand-new-in-box water pump and it does not spin freely. I would describe it as 'smooth but tight,' as you have.

 

Where does the leaking start when they're failing?

 

Looking over the pump, I see 2 holes that look like coolant has been coming through.

What are they for?

 

Not sure what the holes are for, but I'll venture a guess that coolant shouldn't be seeping from them...

FWIW, on yours, I'm not convinced that coolant is seeping out, as it appears that it's possibly coolant-stained grease/oil/smudge smeared in the orifice.

Below are the same holes on my new-in-box spare water pump.

 

Well, I brought the pump in the house, cleaned the goop out of the elongated hole, and ran water into it......it came squirting out of the other hole!

Crap, I dont know......

 

I'm calling it! Leak solved.

Since I decided to replace the pump any way, I thought I might as well rip the old one apart........

​failed gasket?

 

Although it appears you've concluded that your water pump is the culprit, in my internet travels, I came across this snippet (on a non-MINI forum) that seemingly confirms the cause of your coolant leaking out the holes of your water pump.

Let us know how you made out, and if the water pump change solved your problem. All too often, when looking up an issue, one will run across threads that try and work through a process of solving the problem, only to fall short - leaving us all in the dark as the OP never confirmed HOW the issue was eventually resolved.