Water pump .....
 

I am not one for replacing parts unnecessarily but I am thinking of replacing the water pump in my 2001 Boxster base. The car has only 45k miles and the water pump has not been replaced according to the receipts for work done and therefore the pump is 13 years old. I have the IMS Guardian installed.

The idler arm was replaced 6 months ago and the water pump, alternator etc was checked for tension. Nothing was found to be amiss except the idler arm was worn.

Questions? For those of you in the know, is this what you would do? Is this the obvious thing to replace to be proactive? The clutch is good so I am happy to leave the ims bearing as is for now.

Second question. Am I correct in saying that the normal regular temp thermostat is the correct replacement as we have cooler temps year round. It does not get above 80F very often in the summer.

How many hours would it take an indy shop to replace a water pump/thermostat?
Thanks in advance , Guy

You'll get varying opinions on the wisdom of changing out the pump at relatively low mileage. My 2000 S had the original pump, thermostat, AND coolant - with only 27K miles. Even though the coolant is good for 100K, it was 13 years old, so I decided to drain/flush it. While I was in there... etc. etc. I now have a new water pump, low temp thermostat, and new Porsche coolant in the car. Peace of mind is worth something. Just my $ .02

I recently changed the water pump in my 2000 base when it started making noise. It had over 80,000 miles on it. Based on my experience, you should have another 30,000 miles of life in your water pump. However, I am aware that others have experienced failures with far fewer miles.

If you were planning a long trip, it might make sense to change it as a precaution.

Here's a post with a variety of opinions and experience: http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/49975-water-pump-question.html

Took my own out at 45,000 miles and 13years - it didn't make noise, didn't leak but I figured since the impeller is plastic I'd rather not have to worry about missing impeller fins floating around in the engine passages possibly stopping cooling and causing other issues. Put it this way if you got 13 years out of that pump it doesn't owe you anything (that's just my opinion)
H

Your water pump / thermostat and coolant have lasted 13 years, so f you are "proactive" and replace all of the above, then logic says that you will be good for the next few years - depending on your annual mileage.
If these engines weren't so allergic to high running temperatures and your coolant efficiency tested out OK, I would say leave as be, but preventative maintenance is high on any professional piece of equipment.
A lot of people mistakenly think that the low temp T'stat makes the engine run too cool for everyday operation in temperate climates like Canada. In fact the 'stat only opens sooner than the original, so giving the engine access to the total cooling volume earlier.
Perhaps we should have call it the early opening thermostat instead of the low temperature thermostat

4 hour job, 450 from Porsche on the shelf.

Done. Worth it.

Thanks Timco! Can somebody tell me that the normal temp thermostat is best for this part of the world or should I go for the low temp one?
G.

looks like it is time for me to replace my w/p. started to get the obligatory belt squeal and now I have a small leak of what appears to be coolant. originally, I was convinced it was an idler pulley which was beginning to fail, but the drip has me convinced to replace the idler and w/p. as long as I will have it disassembled. at 51k and 14 years old, I guess it has lived a long life.

Great move. Excellent advice.

Fluid is drained, car is jacked, interior engine cover removed, just 4 more bolts or so.

Do the stat. You can get the entire assy or just the stat. I did just the stat. A little difficult to snap into the holder.

Going to be replacing my water pump + coolant in the next month. 100,5xx miles.

Timco:
Are you doing a Vacuum fluid fill or the manual fill, purge fill
I just ran 2200 miles, 950 in ones straight shot (68k miles on car) and I was thinking about the water pump, watching my temp gauge consistently. I did check for play and leaks (All good) before I left
Now that I'm at 70k, 14 years old, a new W/P, Low temp Termo. and Flush seem like good preventative maintenance at this time especially having gotten through that trip with no issues
Only thing is I'm not set up to do Vacuum fill including no compressor

My pump didn't go out till 102k miles on the last car and took the aos with it on the last seller, what I am noticing with boxsters on the market is that most go out or are done preventively from 65 to 85k.

If your coolant has not been properly maintained it may be acidic and wear/damage your water pump. It's not just the mileage….

Hi guys it's me again. Just wondering if any of you installed or had installed the Boxster water pump with the metal impeller?

The one in Pelican Parts is half the price of the composite impeller Porsche made.

Advantage of metal is that it does not shatter into multi pieces. Your comments please for metal vs. composite!

Guy

I have a 2001 Box base.

I've read here that the problem with a metal impeller is if it develops a wobble, the metal will start grinding away at your aluminum block...not good and very expensive.

Think that's the reason Porsche went with the plastic version.

I'm on this project right now. I decided to go with the plastic because

1. That's what was in there originally. (Or so I believe. I'll find out this week)

2. Shredding plastic seems a lot safer than shredding metal.

3. The low cost of the metal impellers really turned me off. While I believe the $100-$150 dollar pumps might be adequate for a year or two, I'd rather not have the thought of a cheap pump going through the back of my mind whenever I decide to take a road trip.

ETA: I went with the low temp thermostat for no particular reason other than it sounds cooler. (pun intended)

There is a reason Porsche went with plastic. Do a search for some pics that Jake Raby(if I remember correctly) posted of the metal pump grinding into the case. I would stick with the plastic.

Thanks all. I have put in an order for water pump(plastic impeller), gasket and thermostat.
Cheers, Guy.

Honestly, I only jacked the rear up, drained the lower hose, did my jobs, and filled it with the back still jacked. Then set flat, refill, run to temp, and check it. I had no air bubbles or issues.