[94SilverCab]

My last (and first ) waterpump change was 2005, the night before the first 968 Celebration in Newtown...I have had no reason to change it in the 2-3 subsequent belt changes.

 

Once again, just my opinion,

 

Jay

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[ds968]

Agreed, and the same with my cars but as always the YMMV adage is always a well advised caution with these cars. Even new parts can fail as do old parts ( albeit the probability of such failure is arguable lower ) and there is no guarantee of consistent longevity with water pumps, or timing belts, or for that matter any other component ..they have a mind of their own, so do what you feel is prudent and gives you peace of mind .

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[flash]

water pumps have become a bit of a problem in the last couple of years.  most of them are rebuilt.  the problem with that is that the QA isn't there on some of the suppliers.  we have seen a number of them either fail right away, or not fit properly, or not work at all, right out of the box.  one of the problems is the impeller.  there were 2 different types on our cars, and 2 different castings of the housing, and they do not fit the same back and forth.  it is not uncommon to see the wrong impeller on the wrong housing.

 

i would recommend against going anywhere but porsche for the water pump, because at least they will back up the part with no questions.  with any other supplier you are in for a battle.

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[Chris Vais]

The last time that I had a water pump failure, I went through three rebuilds, two of which leaked immediately upon installation. I then installed a new Porsche pump that I had to have shipped from Germany. That is the pump that is on the car now and I don't think I will replace it during the upcoming belt replacement unless it has failed.

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[az968]

Echoing Flash and others.

 

I found the Porsche rebuilt water pump to be not too expensive at all last spring when I replaced mine for the first time (90k miles), just because I was doing a timing belt and it was original. Expect it to last through many belt changes.

 

I paid $224 after the core deposit refund, from my local Porsche dealer (shipped from Germany). My mechanic said it looked new from them. For that small price difference over aftermarket, why buy from aftermarket.

 

I have found that my local dealer's prices on most parts for my car are competitive with aftermarket, and they stand behind the parts.

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[HeroOfSpielburg]

Okay, thanks for the input guys.  Based on feedback I think I'm going to get Gates belts and INA rollers, with a rebuilt Porsche water pump.

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[MCL968]

Be sure you check the date code on the belts. They have been known to sit on a shelf for a long time before purchase, which cuts in to their functional lifespan.

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[az968]

Something else to consider is the variocam pads. While you are in there. Lots of info on the site, use search. 66k is getting in the range of concern on the pads.

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[biosurfer1]

Anyone have a link to a decent "how to" on a belt change?

 

Also, I'll echo the comments on the Porsche rebuilt WP, the leaking of the "brand new" aftermarket pump caused a lot of 4 letter words and $$ when I bought mine before I figured out what the issue was. Got a Porsche rebuilt unit and no problems since.

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[JWahlsten]

I bought my last pump from Sonnen Porsche in CA.  The waterpump kit wasn't any more than any of the aftermarket sites.  So far so good...  I don't do a lot of mileage, but a lot of it is in the thirsty end of the tach.

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[HeroOfSpielburg]

When people say buying a rebuilt water pump from Porsche, I guess they mean going to the local dealer and having them start an inquiry?  I can't seem to find any Porsche site where you can order parts of cars out of production.  I've seen rebuilt pumps from third parties, but going that route leads to the scary "potentially wrong impeller" fears I assume.

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[flash]

really?  it's quite common here in the states.  the dealerships list and can get most of the parts for the car.  some new and some rebuilt.

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[HeroOfSpielburg]

Yeah, I see some have parts order forms on the sites now.  Sorry, internet fail.

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[flash]

i never order 968 parts online.  way too many chances for error.  much easier to pick up the phone.

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[az968]

Yeah, you should talk directly with the closest Porsche dealer parts department, not a parts Web site. Too critical to risk a bad part for a few bucks (euros). You want a factory rebuilt part, not a third party part.

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