1998 Honda Civic water pump vs head gasket

Hi superhawk996. Welcome to the forum. The only way a water pump can cause overheating directly is if the impeller breaks loose or corrodes away. Broken impellers are somewhat common on Volkswagens but not other brands. A leaking water pump can cause overheating but not because of the pump itself. It's the leak and resulting air in the cooling system that causes the overheating.

A leaking head gasket can cause overheating and overheating can cause a leaking head gasket. The leak is usually due to the aluminum head warping. Sometimes head gaskets don't leak until the engine is warmed up, but if you see bubbling in the overflow reservoir when the engine is still cool, the gasket or head leaking is assured. The clue is there will be no steam with the bubbling.

Caradiodoc