05-10-2008, 08:58 PM
I recently replaced my water pump as part of my belt change, and I wanted to share my experience with everybody.
First, on the issue of new vs. remanufactured. Several people have reported leaks with remanufactured pumps, but after talking with both Jason and Chuck at Paragon, who informed me they have had no issues with the reman pump they sell, I decided to save the ~$200 price differential vs a new one, and orderd the reman pump from Paragon. I'm happy to report no leaks or problems of any kind. Also, another member of this board, Rhayward, installed a reman pump from Paragon at close to the same time as mine, and he hasn't reported any problems, either. So, hopefully, the previously reported problems with reman water pumps are resolved. But make your own decision on this, as installing a pump that leaks will really ruin your day, because it means doing the entire belt job over. My feeling is that, given that a water pump has a grand total of ONE moving part, surely a problem with a remanufactured one must be the exception rather than the norm.
One issue with a reman pump (at least the one Paragon sells), however, is that they come without the guide pins that are pressed into two of the bolt holes to help secure the pump laterally. Make sure you tap out these pins from your old one before sending it back for your core charge, and CAREFULLY tap them into the appropriate holes in your new pump. Make sure you secure the pump very well on the bottom to evenly distribute the force from the hammer as you tap the pins in, to avoid breaking the pump's casting (another thing that would surely ruin your day). I wonder if not replacing these guide pins is part of the reason some of the reman pumps people have bought in the past have leaked.
And finally, I wasn't completely truthful when I said my new pump didn't leak. It actually did, but not at the mounting point to the block or the impeller bushing - it was leaking from the o-ring that seals the plastic fitting for the host that runs from the pump to the reservoir, which is located on the front of the pump. Forutnately, this piece is easily accessible. The part number for the o-ring is either 2545596/90, or 99970728340 (the verbiage identifying what these numbers mean got cut off from the label on mine), and it's only something like $1.60, if I remember right. Given that this o-ring is so cheap, I would recommend going ahead and replacing it, since you have to put the fitting on the new pump, anyway. Pete told me he's never seen this o-ring fail, so maybe mine was a very unusual case, but my old o-ring was so flattened, scored, and stiff, that it's not surprising that it didn't seal.
OK, I hope this bit of info helps others who are getting ready to replace their water pumps.
First, on the issue of new vs. remanufactured. Several people have reported leaks with remanufactured pumps, but after talking with both Jason and Chuck at Paragon, who informed me they have had no issues with the reman pump they sell, I decided to save the ~$200 price differential vs a new one, and orderd the reman pump from Paragon. I'm happy to report no leaks or problems of any kind. Also, another member of this board, Rhayward, installed a reman pump from Paragon at close to the same time as mine, and he hasn't reported any problems, either. So, hopefully, the previously reported problems with reman water pumps are resolved. But make your own decision on this, as installing a pump that leaks will really ruin your day, because it means doing the entire belt job over. My feeling is that, given that a water pump has a grand total of ONE moving part, surely a problem with a remanufactured one must be the exception rather than the norm.
One issue with a reman pump (at least the one Paragon sells), however, is that they come without the guide pins that are pressed into two of the bolt holes to help secure the pump laterally. Make sure you tap out these pins from your old one before sending it back for your core charge, and CAREFULLY tap them into the appropriate holes in your new pump. Make sure you secure the pump very well on the bottom to evenly distribute the force from the hammer as you tap the pins in, to avoid breaking the pump's casting (another thing that would surely ruin your day). I wonder if not replacing these guide pins is part of the reason some of the reman pumps people have bought in the past have leaked.
And finally, I wasn't completely truthful when I said my new pump didn't leak. It actually did, but not at the mounting point to the block or the impeller bushing - it was leaking from the o-ring that seals the plastic fitting for the host that runs from the pump to the reservoir, which is located on the front of the pump. Forutnately, this piece is easily accessible. The part number for the o-ring is either 2545596/90, or 99970728340 (the verbiage identifying what these numbers mean got cut off from the label on mine), and it's only something like $1.60, if I remember right. Given that this o-ring is so cheap, I would recommend going ahead and replacing it, since you have to put the fitting on the new pump, anyway. Pete told me he's never seen this o-ring fail, so maybe mine was a very unusual case, but my old o-ring was so flattened, scored, and stiff, that it's not surprising that it didn't seal.
OK, I hope this bit of info helps others who are getting ready to replace their water pumps.
(This post was last modified: 05-11-2008, 02:04 PM by Cloud9...68.)
