924Board.org

[nguyenaq]

Should I have my current factory Porsche waterpump rebuilt or should I get a new waterpump? If i get a new waterpump, which brand is the best for the money?
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1988 924S

[Joes924Racer]

Arent they like a really inexspensive item you could
get a quality one from a shop (porsche tuning shop)
can trust the shop or try nappa they offer you
different brands if you can trust the shop.
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1979 porsche 924 Na
1980 porsche Turbo 931GT Replica
Have u ever driven a turbo.

[Sleykin]

New runs close to $200 and rebuilt is close to $150. For $50 or so I would not want to take a chance on a shoddy rebuild job making me tear the fron end apart again. Shop rate is about 9 hours to do a waterpump. I replaced mine when I did the belts and front of engine service. Be sure to go with the upgrade waterpump with the belt guard if you don't already have it.
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Glenn Neff
Medford, OR
87' 924S

[Chrenan]

I agree. I don't have an S, just a regular 924, but I try not to buy re-built or used mechanical parts. Used parts are great for interior trim, I've bought a few of those, but I feel more confident with new mechanicals...
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1987 951 - M193 Version for Japan

[JP Shelton]

N.,

As you know, the water pump on 924S models is driven via the same belt that drives the camshaft. Because of this, if the pump goes kaput, it seems obvious that you run a risk of incurring much more serious damage to the valve train, and perhaps even the pistons and cylinders, too.

Another thing to consider is that engine coolant destroys camshaft drive belts in very short order. A water pump can leak without the leak being too obvious. About 6 months ago, I started noticing that my '87 Pathfinder was suffering from coolant loss. I looked everywhere for a leak for about a week, but couldn't find one. The radiator on that car is like the one on the Porsche in that it uses plastic tanks on either end of the aluminum core, and just like on a Porsche, the join where the tank meets the core is prone to leaking over time. Sure enough, I eventually noticed coolant bubbling out of the top tank / core join. $400.00 later, in goes a new radiator ('bout time, too, and I can't believe the orig. one lasted as long as it did). Problem solved, or so it seemed.....

Three weeks after the radiator job, it's oil change time. It's also camshaft drive belt inspection time. I pull off the front skid plate, which goes all the way under the oil pan, and it's dry as a bone with no evidence of leaking. I pull off the cam belt cover, and what do I see? Coolant all over everything, that's what! The coolant leaked from the backing plate of the pump and formed a big puddle between the camshaft belt cover and the front of the engine. The cam drive belt is saturated with the stuff and rubber particles are everywhere and the belt is way too loose. Off to the dealership I go....

Nissan gets $225.00 to $250.00 for a new water pump for an 87 Pathfinder and $35.00 for a cam drive belt and about $3.00 for front cam seals which are notorious for leaking. Oh, and you have to have new tensioners, too, but I don't remember what they go for. Sounds sort of familiar, huh? BTW, the P.O. of my Pathfinder broke the cam drive belt right before I bought the car. Fixing the damage required replacement of one entire bare head casting, two new camshafts, valves, springs, cam followers, and so on. That repair alone cost the P.O. $3,750.00. That probably sounds familiar, too, doesn't it?

Yeah, I know that coolant flows through rubber hoses. But the hoses are made from compounds designed to resist damage from it. Cam belts aren't. The stuff causes them to swell, then stretch, and then completely fail, and it doesn't take long at all to go from a brand spankin' new belt to shredded rubber if the belt gets saturated with coolant.

I don't know first-hand what a re-build pump for a 924S goes for, becuase I've got no personal interest in buying one. But if Sleykin is correct, and I'm sure he is, then $50.00 additional for new versus recon sounds like mighty cheap insurance to me.

-JP
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Life..... Powered By Porsche

[MAAS]

Spend the extra money and get the new larger upgraded turbo water pump.

-MAS

[speedsta2003]

like they all said. The water pump on the interference engines are essential. If these go out, your whole engine needs a rebuild. Buy the best.
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My Old Porsche Thats Sold
http://members.cardomain.com/jatbballboy15

[gohim]

On the RennList Mail Forum there is a thread running started by a 944S Owner who recently had a timing belt failure. Looks like he bent 4 exhaust valves and two intakes.

He states that his mechanic is the Previous Owner of the car. Water pump was replaced with a rebuilt "only 4-5 years ago...", front of engine seals are 25K miles old, belts were "only 20K miles old", last belt inspection was "only 13K miles" ago. On teardown, noticed timing belt stripped teeth, and now the water pump is leaking, did not notice previously.

This is why the recommended "front of engine" service is 3 years or 30K miles with 10K mile belt inspection and retensioning, with all pulleys, rollers, and the water pump replaced with new, not rebuilt.

This guy is looking at $3000+ in cylinder head and engine service. Now he is asking about why he should not install another rebuilt water pump while he looks for non-existent sleeves for the engine block cylinders.

[ProudGecko]

I know this doesn't help answer your question too much, but I purchased a rebuilt updated water pump from Vertex Auto for $89 (+$80 core) and so far it's been great, granted I just did it last summer.
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1988 Porsche 924S
1986 Kawasaki Concurs ZG1000
1984 Mercedes 190D
1973 Honda CB500

[Lizard]

the place I works rebuilds water pumps, when they rebuild then keep in mind they take them apart clean them and then when reassembling they check tollerences and specs to make sure the housing can be reused, I personally would have no problem using a rebuild,
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3 928s,