Go ahead, procrastinate like I did

[Spinnaker]

I was going to change the water pump last year, but didn't get around to it. I was waiting to get a set of flex sockets, which I'm glad I got. They came in handy. So I do it today and this is what I get. Didn't find any chunks, but a lot of finely ground up plastic pieces and 2½ missing vanes. Hooked up the garden hose to the coolant hoses and flushed it out the best I could.
The gasket was already cut so this was a replacement water pump. Don't know how many miles, or years on this one since I didn't find any record of it in the receipts I found with the car. I've had the car for 4½ years now. I'll start saving up now in case I get a cracked head.
This was a precautionary water pump change. I didn't have any issues or leaking going on. Installed a Porsche OEM water pump from Sunset Porsche in Oregon and will use Porsche coolant. The antifreeze that came out was orange and not OEM. I don't know if this had any effect on the life of the plastic impeller, but I will not take a chance and will use the OEM coolant this time around.
Jake was right.

[san rensho]

Good catch. Was there any play in the pulley?

[Ghostrider 310]

Approximate mileage on pump?

[Flavor 987S]

How many hours did this project (pump and fluid change) take you?

[Spinnaker]

Originally Posted by san rensho

Good catch. Was there any play in the pulley?

Nothing, it had no issues at all. I just changed it to be safe because I had no idea how old it was.

[Spinnaker]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

Approximate mileage on pump?

I have no idea. The car has 109k on it and this was not the original pump.

[Spinnaker]

Originally Posted by Flavor 987S

How many hours did this project (pump and fluid change) take you?

So far, about 5 hrs. I spent about 1½ hours flushing out the engine and radiators. I forgot to get some distilled water, so I got that later in the evening. Everything is buttoned up, except for the underbody tray. It had some cracks in it that I spent a hour or so melting back together with a soldering iron. All I have to do is put the undertray back on and pour the coolant in. Then purge the air out of the system.
Mind you that I'm no spring chicken anymore. I have worked on cars since I was a teenager, but it is getting a lot harder to find the energy to wrench on cars now a days. To give you a hint, I'm collecting Social Security now.

[Flavor 987S]

Originally Posted by Spinnaker

So far, about 5 hrs. I spent about 1½ hours flushing out the engine and radiators. I forgot to get some distilled water, so I got that later in the evening. Everything is buttoned up, except for the underbody tray. It had some cracks in it that I spent a hour or so melting back together with a soldering iron. All I have to do is put the undertray back on and pour the coolant in. Then purge the air out of the system.
Mind you that I'm no spring chicken anymore. I have worked on cars since I was a teenager, but it is getting a lot harder to find the energy to wrench on cars now a days. To give you a hint, I'm collecting Social Security now.

Good job! I plan to have this done in the Fall, prior to winter hibernation. My Boxster will be over 6 years young and just over 50,000 miles by then. Preventive maintenance.

I figure a new pump is about $200 and the low temp stat is about the same price. Charles doesn't really think the 987 needs the stat, so I'll throw the same money at a new pump, and sleep well.

[thstone]

Spinnaker, thanks for the post and pic's! I guess that I better tackle this soon - my car has 107,000 and I'm sure that it still has the original waterpump. I don't have any temp issues at all (even on the track in 105F heat) so I haven't worried about this at all but this changes my mind.

[dewolf]

Your pump looks good compared to mine:

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/35280-check-out-my-waterpump.html

[Tim1137]

are there any "how to's" or write ups on this job? Im a Porsche noob and Further than changing the oil im not familiar with this engine at all!

[jcb986]

dewolf, come and get your 1st Place Trophy for the water pump...wow.

[Spinnaker]

Originally Posted by Tim1137

are there any "how to's" or write ups on this job? Im a Porsche noob and Further than changing the oil im not familiar with this engine at all!

Pelican Technical Article: Boxster Water Pump & Boxster Thermostat Replacement - 986 / 987

Replace Water Pump

Also get the Bentley manual from Amazon, the DIY must have.
Amazon.com: Porsche Boxster, Boxster S Service Manual: 1997-2004 (9780837616452): Bentley Publishers: Books

[san rensho]

Originally Posted by Tim1137

are there any "how to's" or write ups on this job? Im a Porsche noob and Further than changing the oil im not familiar with this engine at all!

If you replace the motor mount at the same time, the WP is a peice of cake. You can torque all the bolts with a torque wrench very easily.

[Botoxster]

I replaced mine last month, trying not to procrastinate, and the dern thing looked brand new. Guess I'm glad I did it though.

[blue2000s]

I found the tips of the vanes were worn when I replaced mine. 43,000 miles or so, original pump. Makes you glad the impeller is plastic when you think about what could happen to the engine block with metal blades.

[Steve Tinker]

Spinnaker, good catch, I'll bet you feel better now!
Do you think your (old) pump is original Porsche - I can't see any part numbers in the photo?
If its a Laso or a cheap knockoff, you are very lucky as the pump only had 50% of the blades pumping fluid....
When you went fishing for broken impeller bits, did you remove the thermostat to see if any of the debris was hooked up in the t 'stat housing - sometimes the 'stat collects them.
I hate to think where the impeller remains are located, but perhaps the finely ground dust adds up to the sum total of the missing impeller bits.
And to reverse flush the system, the 'stat should be removed anyway - it helps with the fluid flow.

[Spinnaker]

Spinnaker, good catch, I'll bet you feel better now!
Do you think your (old) pump is original Porsche - I can't see any part numbers in the photo?
It looks very close in appearance to the OEM pump that I bought, down to the "MADE IN FRANCE" lettering in the casting and the fit and finish of the whole thing. But it definately is not the original pump. The gasket was cut, so it was a replacement. The amount of corrosion and dirt on the exterior of it, leaves me to believe that it has been in the car for a long time.
If its a Laso or a cheap knockoff, you are very lucky as the pump only had 50% of the blades pumping fluid....
Definately not a LASO. I have one for comparison. Bought it before I found out that they don't hold up, so I never used it. The LASO has a brown plastic impeller and the metal casting has a much rougher surface. The one I took out has a black plastic impeller, like the new OEM one I bought.
When you went fishing for broken impeller bits, did you remove the thermostat to see if any of the debris was hooked up in the t 'stat housing - sometimes the 'stat collects them.
The very first thing I did after I got the water pump out and discovered the broken impeller blades. Found a couple of small plastic thread like pieces of debris, but no chunks in the thermostat housing.
I hate to think where the impeller remains are located, but perhaps the finely ground dust adds up to the sum total of the missing impeller bits.
If all the pieces left in the system are as small as the ones I got out, then I'm not worried about them clogging up any passages. They are way too small.
And to reverse flush the system, the 'stat should be removed anyway - it helps with the fluid flow.
After this experience, I have an idea for a universal flushing attachment for your garden hose. It would make it easier to hook up the garden hose to all the different size hoses you run into. I can get into business making them like Dirkdiggler "Anyone need a Boxster magnetic drain plug". If I sold one, I would consider that a success.


Looking at the water pump from the point of view of the tool and pattern maker I once was a long time ago, I don't see why they couldn't have make the impeller vanes a bit thicker. Would have made them a lot stronger and longer lasting. I guess the P-car engineers figured the IMS would go before the water pump.
I might have a secret desire to lose this engine so I can get a 3.6 from Jake. He needs to get bumped up to the the next tax bracket and pay for those new buildings. It would be fun to try the 3.6 before I get too much older and eventually leave this earth. The next person to own my car would get a real surprise the first time they "see what she'll do".
Here's some more pics of the pump I took out.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by Spinnaker

Spinnaker, good catch, I'll bet you feel better now!
Do you think your (old) pump is original Porsche - I can't see any part numbers in the photo?
It looks very close in appearance to the OEM pump that I bought, down to the "MADE IN FRANCE" lettering in the casting and the fit and finish of the whole thing. But it definately is not the original pump. The gasket was cut, so it was a replacement. The amount of corrosion and dirt on the exterior of it, leaves me to believe that it has been in the car for a long time.
If its a Laso or a cheap knockoff, you are very lucky as the pump only had 50% of the blades pumping fluid....
Definately not a LASO. I have one for comparison. Bought it before I found out that they don't hold up, so I never used it. The LASO has a brown plastic impeller and the metal casting has a much rougher surface. The one I took out has a black plastic impeller, like the new OEM one I bought.
When you went fishing for broken impeller bits, did you remove the thermostat to see if any of the debris was hooked up in the t 'stat housing - sometimes the 'stat collects them.
The very first thing I did after I got the water pump out and discovered the broken impeller blades. Found a couple of small plastic thread like pieces of debris, but no chunks in the thermostat housing.
I hate to think where the impeller remains are located, but perhaps the finely ground dust adds up to the sum total of the missing impeller bits.
If all the pieces left in the system are as small as the ones I got out, then I'm not worried about them clogging up any passages. They are way too small.
And to reverse flush the system, the 'stat should be removed anyway - it helps with the fluid flow.
After this experience, I have an idea for a universal flushing attachment for your garden hose. It would make it easier to hook up the garden hose to all the different size hoses you run into. I can get into business making them like Dirkdiggler "Anyone need a Boxster magnetic drain plug". If I sold one, I would consider that a success.


Looking at the water pump from the point of view of the tool and pattern maker I once was a long time ago, I don't see why they couldn't have make the impeller vanes a bit thicker. Would have made them a lot stronger and longer lasting. I guess the P-car engineers figured the IMS would go before the water pump.
I might have a secret desire to lose this engine so I can get a 3.6 from Jake. He needs to get bumped up to the the next tax bracket and pay for those new buildings. It would be fun to try the 3.6 before I get too much older and eventually leave this earth. The next person to own my car would get a real surprise the first time they "see what she'll do".
Here's some more pics of the pump I took out.

This is the replacement pump that I got from Sunset. Brown plastic.

[Spinnaker]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

This is the replacement pump that I got from Sunset. Brown plastic.

While I'm not trying to infer that the brown plastic is in some way inferior to the black ones, it was just the most obvious visual difference in appearance, along with the surface texture of the casting, that I noticed between the LASO and the OEM pump. Also, there was no casting number on LASO that both of my pumps had, and I see that yours also has. (red circle) The machining of the gasket surface is also not as smooth and fine on the LASO as it was on the OEM pump.