26 captured repliesPartial discussion capture · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHWater Pump - a routine service item
Reported or suspected cause
bearing, not the impeller
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
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Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
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Reported cause
Actually, it was the bearing, not the impeller, that ate itself.
Leading evidence: 'bearing, not the impeller' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'bearing, not the impeller' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check any play' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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1
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Reported cause
Even when I was investigating what proved to be a bad water pump on my
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Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I have the pump changed every 60k/4 years with the timing belt and have been thru 4 or 5 on my 150K mile 1989 325is.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
are original and quiet (and with over 262K miles on them) but I had to have one replaced on my Turbo at around 50K miles.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I know some have replaced the thermostat with the lower temp (160F vs 180F) opening one, but I read elsewhere that Porsche puts the higher temp one in to bring engine operating temp up quicker.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I know some have replaced the thermostat with the lower temp (160F vs 180F) opening one, but I read elsewhere that Porsche puts the higher temp one in to bring engine operating temp up quicker.
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Suspected cause
Most likely the bearing seal around the shaft, not the impeller, but haven't pulled it yet, because don't ya know this was on Dec 20th, and even though ordered the same day from Suncoast, with the Christmas an New Year Holidays, my tracking number says delivery is January 3rd.
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26 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Planet-9: 1 discussions
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Generation: 20261026T220748Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Well, 44,975 miles, and the water pump started leaking to today. Got it home o.k. - it's a slow drip, but clearly time to change. Ordered the parts from Suncoast. From write ups on this forum, C-R, and others, seems these pumps are notorious for going out between 40K and 45K miles +/-. Several have ironically stated it's so common they treat it as a routine service item. :hilarious:
Since I don't see an article on this, think I'll try to photo-doc and write up the replacement procedure. Well, it gives me and #1 son something to do over the holiday break.
It sure is a routine service item on old BMWs! I have the pump changed every 60k/4 years with the timing belt and have been thru 4 or 5 on my 150K mile 1989 325is. Of course, the BMW pump is only about $50 and a relatively quick install.
I don't understand this, my
Cayman
has done over 60,000 miles as a DD and I have friends with Caymans with similar miles and usage - not a failed water pump between us!
What's going on over there!?
Must be the difference in relative humidity.. my folks r from manchester area, and all i can remember is rain there... so i figure that your vehicles are amphibians anyway (that IS funny) and the water pump doesnt work as hard..
The ONE drawback of being in the former colonies... lol
In all seriousness tho, i'm probably imagining a bearing noise i THINK i hear when i start my car, so ifigure WP R and R is cheap insurance... and i've done plenty of them on US muscle cars...
Long live the queen
Replacing the water pump based on some imagined noise is not cheap insurance. It is the wrong insurance. Like buying flight insurance when taking a bus ride.
Best determine if the noise is real and if so where it is coming from.
One trick is if the noise appears upon cold engine start is to remove the serpentine belt and start the engine. If the noise is present well you know.
But if it is not present then an accessory drive is likely the cause. And certainly a water pump is at the top of the list. Check the belt for sharp edges. A bad accessory drive with any bearing play will have the belt mistracking and rubbing.
Check for any play. There may not be much so you have to give every accessory drive pulley/shaft a good free play test. Even when I was investigating what proved to be a bad water pump on my
Boxster
(at 172K miles) it wasn't so much the water pump had a lot of play it was that it had some play while the other accessory drives had none.
There are the idler/tensioner roller bearings too. The ones on my
Boxster
are original and quiet (and with over 262K miles on them) but I had to have one replaced on my Turbo at around 50K miles.
Be sure you note the belt routing and if you are going to reuse the belt note too its direction of travel. You want to route the belt correctly of course but you want it running in the same direction as before.
Mine failed at 30K/6 years. Actually, it was the bearing, not the impeller, that ate itself. Like others have said, make sure to test all the other rolling bearings along the belt.
Funny enough, I raised this subject with my local Porsche Indy garage when my CS was in having its last service, I asked them whether they had many reports of water pump failures on the 987s, they said it does sometimes happen but in their experience it seemed to affect lower mileage cars worse while Daily Drivers seemed to be less affected.
That was just their opinion based on what goes through their workshop, I've no doubt there will be cars out there that will contradict this info, but I just thought I'd throw this info in to the mix.
It does seem, and I'm sure someone will contradict, that if you actually drive your car and get some mileage done they seem to suffer less from the "infamous" IMS, water pump and other well reported issues.
I'm sure there's a lesson there!?
My independent Porsche mechanic asked me if I had replaced the water pump on my new to me 2007. His comment was you will be replacing it. Checking the pump later showed dried coolant coming from the seal at ~20K miles. The second pump developed a slow leak at ~24K but after a hose blew off at the track. I'm not sure if that contributed to the failure. Anyway I am for treating the pump as a regularly scheduled maintenance item.
The main reason to treat the WP as a service item is that when the pump lets go, many times the plastic vanes get destroyed, sending bits of plastic into the very small coolant channels in the heads, leading to blockage and head cracks from localised overheating.
Well, all interesting discussions. No noise from mine, just developed a leak. Most likely the bearing seal around the shaft, not the impeller, but haven't pulled it yet, because don't ya know this was on Dec 20th, and even though ordered the same day from Suncoast, with the Christmas an New Year Holidays, my tracking number says delivery is January 3rd. Also ordered a new serpentine belt, as mine is still the original and has 45K miles on it (was going to replace at 60K miles anyway). Decided not to replace the thermostat, as that seems to be working just fine and shows no evidence of leaking. I know some have replaced the thermostat with the lower temp (160F vs 180F) opening one, but I read elsewhere that Porsche puts the higher temp one in to bring engine operating temp up quicker. So far seems to work fine for me, and have never had over heating or high temp problems, even in the Arizona summers.
Any way, expect full photo-documentation article when I'm done.
Cheers,
Last October while driving from track days at Mid-Ohio to my home in New Hampshire there was a loud thump. The result I needed to flatbed my 07 Basic
Cayman
with 70k to Buffalo. It was Saturday the service department closed, car left and I was off to my home 450 miles away. The flatbed cost was over three hundred. The repair carried out the next week, Porsche of Buffalo was great, good work and great communication. The following Saturday another 450 miles and fifteen hundred dollars later all was in good order and working well. I experienced the same problems with BMW's in those cases it was replace before failure. Had I known Porsche uses plastic impellers I would have long ago replaced the water pump.
Well, finished the install today, and everything checks out. No issues bleeding her after the new install, the 987 Gen 1 has a bleeder valve that works great purging the system. Took pics, so will write it all up tomorrow. Took about 5 hours start to finish (but that included oil and filter change while I was at it); I'd say low-medium difficulty if you need to use jack stands, easier if you have a lift. I'll list all tools, parts, etc.
Cheers!
Hi Pssk=1.0
I am glad it all went well, and look forward to reading your next post.
Many thanks in advance for taking the time to take photos and complete a write up.
Cheers
Well, the article is done, but I'm having trouble posting it with pictures and highlighted fonts. I sent Ken a PM asking for help. The issue is that the article submission form I get when I press the submit article button is slightly different than what is posted in the tutorial. Hopefully Ken will get back to me soon.
Cheers,
Great job on the article. I reviewed it and asked a few questions in the article section. Thanks again for taking the time to write up your water pump change.
Guys,
Thanks for the positive comments and reviews.
Isst,
Didn't consider removing the front engine compartment cross brace as the water pump comes out easily through the front engine compartment access cover opening with a little maneuvering. Just need to be careful working it out.
I absolutely recommend using an Airlift 550000 or equivalent vacuum bleeder if you are going to drain the entire coolant system, as the front part of the system where the radiators are has convoluted plumbing and is difficult to purge. As long as you have shop air or an air compressor in your garage to operate it, they work great.
I didn't want to drain my entire system because 1) inspecting my coolant showed it to be in good condition i.e. pink and transparent, and 2), it is not necessary to drain all the coolant in the system just to change the water pump if you prevent coolant from draining out the main coolant hose by bending it up as I did, or plugging it up with a rubber stopper. The coolant won't drain back through the engine and come out through the water pump housing because the thermostat is closed. Therefore the only coolant that drains through the water pump is the coolant in the engine block water jacket, about 6 liters vs the 20.5 liters of coolant in the front part of the system where the radiators are. The engine block is easy to purge with the bleed canister next to the main coolant reservoir.
Cheers
