Is there any reason to pay the premium for a genuine Porsche waterpump or would one of the off brands be sufficient?

 

genuine always seems to far outlast the aftermarket/'OEM' pumps on these cars from what I've seen

 

I typically go to pelican parts and choose the OEM brand. Same part? As in the Porsche box but about half the price. I have had good luck with all the OEM parts I have purchased. Replaced original WP at 45K, put another 40k on the OEM one since.

 

I'm kinda in a jam and need to get this back on the road. Unfortunately the Oreillys pump came with a larger pulley. The original is about 4-1/8", the new one is about 4.75". Other than probably needing a bigger belt, will the slower spin be a problem?

 

That sounds like a bad idea to me.

 

Yeah, the car thought so too. Not enough clearance to even get the belt on. This pump must be for a non-turbo?

 

Although with most of the vanes missing half their length I'd bet the slower speed is an even trade. The new one had a metal impeller.

 

You don't want a metal impeller. The idea is when the pump fails the bearing goes and allows the shaft to move around in the housing. Plastic will just break up, metal will score the housing.

Use OEM. Your posts above indicate why OEM is the way to go.

 

This is a great point and thanks for clarifying why they use a composite impeller.
The impeller picture shows the impact of the failed bearing. The belt tension pulls the pulley to the right of the picture and you can see how the area around the impeller has worn away.

The next picture shows the exact spot that the impeller starts rubbing on the housing. That shiny crescent would be a pretty big divot if the impeller was metal. It feels smooth, but there is no real removal of material that I can feel.

OEM replacement pump is on the way and I'm renting a car for the week.

Chris

 

+1 on using OEM. I installed an after market pump and it did not even last 18,000 miles. The only caution on OEM is to replace as soon as there is any weeping. Otherwise you risk a composite blade breaking instead of just wearing away. A broken piece has the potential of clogging a passage downstream.

 

I've been thinking of that. It is kind of alarming that anybody who has a waterpump with more than 50k miles on it is most likely breaking off little pieces of the impeller into the coolant. Perhaps it is no big deal?

 

Some worry some don't. Many have had little pieces break off w/out issue. It's a good mentality to be pro-active but many change parts as they break. I spoke to the techs @ Champion Porsche, very respected, who advised little parts break off alot, what can you do, tear the engine down to fish them all out? They don't seem to worry and neither do I.

 

This has been my number #1 seller with no returns. If you buy genuine, the pump will say Pierburg on it. The only difference is it cost more and comes with a pretty Porsche box.
https://www.warehouse33auto.com/PIER...996-106-011-77


-Jason