Water Pumps

[wake74]

In my never ending saga of faulty parts, and poor vendors, my second replacement water pump from Bimmer Parts Company failed. While I'm positive they will ship me another one with no problem, this is getting rediculous.

Two questions:

1. Does anyone actually offer a water pump that doesn't leak out the plug?

2. Is there any remedy for the leaking ones. I thought I was being smart, by filling the plug with JB weld before installing it this time, but the JB weld, got soft under the temperature, and still leaked.

Thanks,

Glenn

75 2002 with zero miles on it since purchase

[Rigmaster]

In my never ending saga of faulty parts, and poor vendors, my second replacement water pump from Bimmer Parts Company failed. While I'm positive they will ship me another one with no problem, this is getting rediculous.

Two questions:

1. Does anyone actually offer a water pump that doesn't leak out the plug?

2. Is there any remedy for the leaking ones. I thought I was being smart, by filling the plug with JB weld before installing it this time, but the JB weld, got soft under the temperature, and still leaked.

Thanks,

Glenn

75 2002 with zero miles on it since purchase

By "plug" I assume you mean the little "weep hole" that's drilled in the body of the water pump?? If so, then coolant should not leak out of there at all. If you get another pump, DON"T plug that hole. If you see coolant leaking from that hole, that means that the seal around the water pump impeller shaft is leaking. If the hole was not there, you would not be able to tell the seal was leaking until the pump failed completely.

Bret.

[cj]

I don't think the seep hole is the plug he's speaking of. It's the one that's located on the driver side of the pump(lhd model). I had the same issues with a leak on the "German" pumps. I ended up buying an "Italian" pump from a local parts store. They use a freeze plug instead of an aluminum plug and sealer combo. Works well and no cooling issues. Cheaper too!

Cris

[wake74]

CJ is correct, the leak is at the core plug on the left hand side of the pump, not the weep hole.

How does one identify the "italian" water pump?

[cj]

Actually, the Italian pumps have a decal on the box stating "made in Italy". Airtex is the storebrand that the part comes in. Hopefully trhe parts store lets you take it out of the box and you can inspect the part itself.

Cris

[wake74]

I'm not aware of any good import stores in my immediate area, so that leaves me with the chain stores. The water pumps that have failed have been the Geba brand.

Autozone Carries:

Duralast

Beck Arnley

Master

Value Craft

Advance Auto Parts Carries:

ASC

Cardone

Bech Arnley

Has anyone used any of these brands succesfully?

Thanks!

[kcdonahue]

Wake74, if ya keep having troubles, I have a few new old stock waterpumps in the garage. Two have a BMW roundel on them and the other (shiny one) is of west german manufacture. My email is in my profile.

Casey

[Rigmaster]

CJ is correct, the leak is at the core plug on the left hand side of the pump, not the weep hole.

How does one identify the "italian" water pump?

Ahh, gotcha, the core plug that's sorta in the end of the "L" shaped part where the hose attaches.

Sorry, can't help with why it's happening, maybe a bad batch of pumps since the bad ones have come from the same source??

Funny thing is, back in the day (1980's), the general consensus was to avoid the Italian-made pumps due to a high failure rate, and stick with the W.German-made pumps.......

Bret.

[cj]

If Autozone will allow you to open the box at the store, I'm willing to bet it's the Duralast brand. Often times parts are bought in bulk and distributed to diffrent chain store warehouses then boxed. The Beck Arnly may be a reboxed Geba(that's one of the brand I had a problem with).

Cris

[wake74]

Thanks go out to Casey for shipping me an NOS pump at a bargain price. That appears to have solved the weeping pump problem!!!!

[jgerry2002]

Yes, many aftermarket pumps are junk. NOS if you are lucky or new from the dealer will be your safest bet.

[BigDog]

New GERMAN pump was NFG right out of the box. I wish there was a good way to modify one so that it would never fail there again. Welding, whatever....

----------

BigDog

'76 2002