Thoughts on Water Pumps

[j.fro]

Check the impeller on the old pump. If it looks like the blades have any damage, flush the system forwards and backwards like there is no tomorrow. If afterwards you see any high temps, cool it off and flush again. Cracked heads are no joke.

[78F350]

"Thoughts on Water Pumps"

I expect that my thoughts will differ from many.

• Many owners have had original water pumps last well over 100K miles and longer than 15 years. Many have had a variety of significant failures well short of that. These engines can be ruined by a failed pump.
• Waiting for symptoms of a problem before changing the pump sounds crazy to me. It's not that difficult a job. The cost is not significant compared with other regular maint items.
• Efficient/proper cooling is critical in these engines.
• Pierburg makes the OE pumps and can be purchased at a significant discount by a savvy shopper.
• Many other reputable manufacturers make good, adequate pumps to "OE specification" (what does that really mean) for between $100-$200.
• My version of the internet said it is best to change them every 3-5 years. I'm cool with that.
• Metal? or composite? I don't care. Both have modes of failure that will ruin my engine. Buy adequate quality of either and replace it short of the design life cycle.

Lastly, I know a guy that worked with a major OE parts supplier. They made the parts to the specifications of the buyer -Ford/Toyota/MB.... They also had their own production line for aftermarket. The materials and quality could be quite different between the production lines.