997 Water Pump - Lesson Learnt
Discussion
Hadn't really given much thought to when the water pump on my 997 (on 56k miles) was last changed until it gave up on route to my house in France. It obviously threw the belt off, but fortunately I was able to get the car off the road quickly before it overheated and the power steering went etc.
Ended up having it trailered to the OPC in Rennes for a new pump plus pulleys, tensioner, belt etc. Was without the car for a week, but they did a decent job.
The belt had actually been replaced last year, but no idea how old the pump was. Presumably it is a serviceable item that needs replacing periodically. Lesson leant.
Ended up having it trailered to the OPC in Rennes for a new pump plus pulleys, tensioner, belt etc. Was without the car for a week, but they did a decent job.
The belt had actually been replaced last year, but no idea how old the pump was. Presumably it is a serviceable item that needs replacing periodically. Lesson leant.
S600BSB said:
Hadn't really given much thought to when the water pump on my 997 (on 56k miles) was last changed until it gave up on route to my house in France. It obviously threw the belt off, but fortunately I was able to get the car off the road quickly before it overheated and the power steering went etc.
Ended up having it trailered to the OPC in Rennes for a new pump plus pulleys, tensioner, belt etc. Was without the car for a week, but they did a decent job.
The belt had actually been replaced last year, but no idea how old the pump was. Presumably it is a serviceable item that needs replacing periodically. Lesson leant.
Talking to an indy a while ago so they said that infant mortality of 997 water pumps is becoming a common issue. Most are failing at low milesEnded up having it trailered to the OPC in Rennes for a new pump plus pulleys, tensioner, belt etc. Was without the car for a week, but they did a decent job.
The belt had actually been replaced last year, but no idea how old the pump was. Presumably it is a serviceable item that needs replacing periodically. Lesson leant.
S600BSB said:
I'm just going to treat it like any other serviceable item from now on and change it say every 3 years. Better to be safe...
Thats a great service regime!Obviously, failure is linked more to mileage than age, but you would have to be doing serious mileage to warranty a 3 year change cycle, surely?
Shouldn't a water pump be good for 70K or 80K?
Mine went this year on my 95K 2001 996 Turbo and I'm pretty certain, it was the original part.
Nobby Diesel said:
S600BSB said:
I'm just going to treat it like any other serviceable item from now on and change it say every 3 years. Better to be safe...
Thats a great service regime!Obviously, failure is linked more to mileage than age, but you would have to be doing serious mileage to warranty a 3 year change cycle, surely?
Shouldn't a water pump be good for 70K or 80K?
Mine went this year on my 95K 2001 996 Turbo and I'm pretty certain, it was the original part.
J1mmy90 said:
How much is a water pump replacement? Are there any symptoms it’s on it’s way…
The Porsche part is £300-350. A good OEM alternative like a Meyle is less than half that.It's probably 6 hours labour so imagine an OCP will be relieving you of £1000. You'd probably expect a bill of £500-600 from a good specialist. Friends Green Porsche have it on their menu servicing list at £350ish (assuming that's +VAT).
Whist you're in there you might want replace the thermostat (£50-£150), some of the coolant hoses (<£100), a coolant flush (£100-£200), the drive belt (and possibly tensioner) depending on how old those bits are.
As for the symptoms, mine was making a high pitch whine/squeak that rose with revs which you could hear in the cabin, which was followed by dripping coolant as the seal had failed. If you take off the drive belt you can feel the pump for any play (there shouldn't be any). But if you think you're on the original and it's 10-15 years old, safer to replace it early.
Edited by olv on Friday 10th December 14:10
From what I understand the 'official' Porsche pump is made by Pierburg and you can get the unbranded same one from places like this.
https://frazerpart.com/products/987-boxster-997-wa...
Not sure why I would bother buying the official one though as it's clearly a bit s
t.
https://frazerpart.com/products/987-boxster-997-wa...
Not sure why I would bother buying the official one though as it's clearly a bit s
t.olv said:
J1mmy90 said:
How much is a water pump replacement? Are there any symptoms it’s on it’s way…
The Porsche part is £300-350. A good OEM alternative like a Meyle is less than half that.It's probably 6 hours labour so imagine an OCP will be relieving you of £1000. You'd probably expect a bill of £500-600 from a good specialist. Friends Green Porsche have it on their menu servicing list at £350ish (assuming that's +VAT).
Whist you're in there you might want replace the thermostat (£50-£150), some of the coolant hoses (<£100), a coolant flush (£100-£200), the drive belt (and possibly tensioner) depending on how old those bits are.
As for the symptoms, mine was making a high pitch whine/squeak that rose with revs which you could hear in the cabin, which was followed by dripping coolant as the seal had failed. If you take off the drive belt you can feel the pump for any play (there shouldn't be any). But if you think you're on the original and it's 10-15 years old, safer to replace it early.
Edited by olv on Friday 10th December 14:10
When my tech replaced it he said the Meyle was metal impeller, whereas the original Porsche pump (never been changed) was plastic impeller.
Worth a thought if it applies to the flat 6 engines as well.
Edited by tr7v8 on Friday 10th December 18:23
I does indeed impact the 911 engines, but is quite a contested issue! I think the argument is that the point of failure on the pump is the bearing, rather than the impeller itself. However, if the bearing does go and the impeller comes off then a plastic/composite one will break whereas a metal one could damage the engine casing. Or something like that! Loads more info on this on various forums I think.
Hi
Seems 997 "2005" Porches do not like France to much! Our water pump failed en route back from Croatia just outside Reims. To be fair the Porsche dealer in Reims were superb. Two extra nights in Reims and we were on our way. That was 2018. Just under 2 years later the pump began to whistle when hot. Changed again under warranty by Porsche at Silvestone. Result !
Seems 997 "2005" Porches do not like France to much! Our water pump failed en route back from Croatia just outside Reims. To be fair the Porsche dealer in Reims were superb. Two extra nights in Reims and we were on our way. That was 2018. Just under 2 years later the pump began to whistle when hot. Changed again under warranty by Porsche at Silvestone. Result !
Andyoz said:
From what I understand the 'official' Porsche pump is made by Pierburg and you can get the unbranded same one from places like this.
https://frazerpart.com/products/987-boxster-997-wa...
Not sure why I would bother buying the official one though as it's clearly a bit st.
That's the one I fitted to my 2000 996 last year at 82k miles. The one I pulled off looked to be the original one which was still ok. I did it as part of preventative maintenance fitting a low temp thermostat at the same time. Both are vey easy jobs to do on your own.https://frazerpart.com/products/987-boxster-997-wa...
Not sure why I would bother buying the official one though as it's clearly a bit s
t.The Pierburg pump has a composite impeller as per the OE one. The pump is a very basic item with few moving parts. Over time the bearings in the impeller/pulley shaft fail, You will either hear a whining, chirping or rattling noise when the bearings gradually start to go. The noise is usually more noticeable at idle and will change with revs. It's very easy to check the pump by taking the auxiliary belt off and checking the pulley by hand. The other guide pulleys and tensioner can make a similar noise (not the rattling that a terminal pump makes).
You DO NOT want a pump with a metal impeller as if the bearings collapse the impeller can contact the inside of the block. A metal one such as Febi, Meyle etc will chew the block to s
t. This is probably why Porsche used the composite Pierburg one.Edited by nunpuncher on Tuesday 14th December 09:47
nunpuncher said:
Both are vey easy jobs to do on your own.
I have alternative feelings on this Edited by nunpuncher on Tuesday 14th December 09:47
and whilst they are very doable DIY, and probably considered easy if you're experienced, they're not what I would consider 'very easy'![edot] Also worth noting the Meyle impeller is plastic.
Edited by olv on Tuesday 14th December 11:53
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