M30 Water Pump

[athflying79]

Well after spending way to much time bleeding my coolant system of air and thinking I possibly lost my headgasket, I think my water pump is about to go. It is starting to get a bit noisy. Just noticed it today. My only question is does the brand really make much difference?? Looked at BMA and the Meyle is only $45 and they go up to about $60 for some other brand.

[Kalevera]

Hepu or Graf. Pete, the guy I work with, is "load testing" the Geba I bought last year on his 735 -- still works, but it's only been on there for five months or so.

I'm not sure I'd accept a Meyle anything as a birthday gift :)

Any play in the bearing (grab the end and shake it without the belt on, and probably without the fan clutch in place) or signs of coolant leaks?


best, whit

[bfd]

Personally, I wouldn't buy anything from Meyle or Febi, heard to much bad stuff about those 2 brands. I bought a Laso after reading the BMW database. Its a bit old, but I haven't seen anything more recent:

Date: Thu, 07 Oct 1999
From: "Steve D'Gerolamo" <steved3@idt.net>
Subject: [uuc] Water Pumps

I've just had a chance to physically inspect 5 different water pumps for
the BMW M30 engine cars (80-94). The brands are Graf (of Italy), Hepu,
Swag, GK/Kolbenschmidt, and Laso (all of Germany). The last good factory
BMW pumps (in my opinion) were those that came out of Austria...the Italian
ones of the past few years do not have as nice an appearance and are not
nearly as smooth (and quiet) as the earlier parts.....another example of
"they don't make them like they used to". This has led me to seek the best
aftermarket pumps.

The nicest of all the pumps (and unfortunately the most expensive, although
not as costly as a current factory pump) is the Laso unit. I believe Laso
is original equipment for Mercedes. It has a nice smooth (almost polished)
appearance, feels silky smooth and quiet when rotating the impeller and the
hose outlet has ribs cast into the aluminum for better hose grip. The only
downside to the Graf pumps is the gasket had the poorest fit of the 5...one
of the holes will not quite line up with the hole in the body of the pump
(I've always noticed this with Laso pumps). This doesn't really matter
much as I always substitute the gaskets that come with these pumps
(thickness range is .28 to .35mm) with some special gaskets I've had made
up that are much more substantial (.75mm thick).

The Swag and Hepu pumps would be my second choice, based on appearance and
feel...the Swag gaskets are pretty mangled by the time I get them out of
the box and go right into the trash. The Graf and GK pumps would be my
third choice...the GK pump has a ribbed hose outlet (like the 1st choice
Laso) and the pulley flange has a nice black finish but the pump I sampled
felt way too tight. The Graf pump had a rough grit-blast finish but felt
smooth and is an excellent pump for its cheap price.

My philosophy on water pumps is to install the best as replacing a
defective pump is not a simple task. There is only a $20 price spread
between the most expensive (Laso) and the cheapest (Graf). When doing the
job, thoroughly prep the mating surface on the engine (I use an angle die
grinder and 3M roloc abrasive pads...the new green ones will go a long
way), glue the new gasket onto the pump, replace the hardware if it looks
marginal and use a proper torque wrench capable of 10-15 ft lbs with
reasonable accuracy (this precludes the 10-100 ft lb models). A quality
water pump properly installed with correct belt tension should last many
years to come. SD
=========================================
Steve D'Gerolamo - The Ultimate Garage
201-262-0412 / steved3@idt.net / http://www.ultimategarage.com

[athflying79]

Hepu or Graf. Pete, the guy I work with, is "load testing" the Geba I bought last year on his 735 -- still works, but it's only been on there for five months or so.

I'm not sure I'd accept a Meyle anything as a birthday gift :)

Any play in the bearing (grab the end and shake it without the belt on, and probably without the fan clutch in place) or signs of coolant leaks?


best, whit

Haven't tried to move it around, just heard it when I had my head jammed in the engine compartment. It's not real loud, but I know it won't take long. When I shut the engine off, you can hear the bearing spinning...sounds like marbles rolling around. Don't think it could be anything else and it seems to be coming from the pump.

[kyleN20]

i replaced mine and forget what brand, but i replaced it because of shaft play, not leaking, if you have any questions on replacment let me know

[Bill R.]

gmb pump from autozone, which is now reboxed as a duralast. They are a lifetime warranty unit from autozone for 46.00 but i've had to replace very few gmb pumps and i install a lot of them on many different makes and models. It s a new pump not a rebuilt.




Haven't tried to move it around, just heard it when I had my head jammed in the engine compartment. It's not real loud, but I know it won't take long. When I shut the engine off, you can hear the bearing spinning...sounds like marbles rolling around. Don't think it could be anything else and it seems to be coming from the pump.

[athflying79]

That is good to know. If she takes a crap sooner than I plan on then I can run and get one from Autozone. Doubt they stock it though, so might not make a difference. Will have to call them in the AM. Either way, $46 is cheaper than BMA.

[Bill R.]

.
That is good to know. If she takes a crap sooner than I plan on then I can run and get one from Autozone. Doubt they stock it though, so might not make a difference. Will have to call them in the AM. Either way, $46 is cheaper than BMA.

[athflying79]

Thanks!!!

[athflying79]

.

Did you actually look that up or do you live in the area??

[Bill R.]

autozones website, the store search there said that store didn't have one in stock but it allowed you to check others in the nearby area. Took less than a minute. I'm in Arizona



Did you actually look that up or do you live in the area??

[athflying79]

autozones website, the store search there said that store didn't have one in stock but it allowed you to check others in the nearby area. Took less than a minute. I'm in Arizona


Thanks...picked it up this morning and hope to have it on by sunset. Couldn't find the Hylomar (Mylomar??..something like that) that you recommend. Is the Permatex Gasket Holder stuff in an aerosol can ok to use??

[Bill R.]

went to loctite recently. The gasket holder should be fine.



Thanks...picked it up this morning and hope to have it on by sunset. Couldn't find the Hylomar (Mylomar??..something like that) that you recommend. Is the Permatex Gasket Holder stuff in an aerosol can ok to use??