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Who builds the best water pumps?

D

DMFWallace

Ignoramus Bigotus
Joined
May 1, 2004
Location
Fredericksburg, VA
Sooo my water pump is howling at me and it weeps ever-so-slightly.. not enough to drip to the ground, only enough to stain the aluminum around the weep hole. I went on FCP's site and they have three to choose from. A GMB, which is what is on there now, a "Hepu", which is ~$20 more, and O.E. Volvo for about $100.

Considering this will be the second or third time I've put a water pump on this car, which would Tbrix opt for? What I'm really asking is, is the Hepu unit $20 more awesome than the GMB pump? The GMB impeller looks totally different from OE Volvo and the one on the car now is a GMB and it's failing so I'm kinda leaning on spending a few more dollars on hopefully a better unit? As far as I recall GMB are Japanese built so you'd think they would be decent, but I seem to be having bad luck with them. Any input (besides crush it/paint centers gold/wrong coast) will be appreciated!

Edit: Amazon stocks a "Bosch" water pump for B230s. Weird. Any thoughts?
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-97078-N...&keywords=volvo+240+water+pump#productDetails
 
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I got a bosh one from rock auto, cheap as hell. still haven't put it on cause mines just leaking out the top. I'll let you know when I get it on
 
blkaplan said:
So what was your decision?
Click to expand...
I decided not to get the "OE Volvo". Those being sold as recently as 10 years ago come with stamped impellers just like the GMB. Understandably, Volvo's supplier is not the same nor doing the same volume of this casting as when the red blocks were being produced, so they are all "aftermarket."

I can try to steer you away from Airtex on this product in particular, and I was as surprised as the OP to learn Bosch was putting their good name on water pumps, but just as dismayed to read lousy reviews of them.

This Airtex, on the left, didn't move enough coolant at idle. Brand new. Experience gained in 1999. Volvo pumps or Hepus used ever since and no complaints from me. Water pump life depends a lot on who installs and maintains it.

wpumps.jpg
 
Canadan said:
I got a bosh one from rock auto, cheap as hell. still haven't put it on cause mines just leaking out the top. I'll let you know when I get it on
Click to expand...

Bosch is now "monetizing" their name for improved profits by selling out. Unfortunately now "Bosch" means nothing - the stuff that Bosch actually makes is usually OK, but there's a whole bunch of non-Bosch "Bosch" stuff out there that may or may not be.

Hepu is good, Volvo is good, I even have an old bargain basement (probably GMB) that's been on the 240 for many years and is still OK (fingers crossed). Get a Hepu and be careful in installation - clean it well, torque it right, lever it up so the top seals (get a OEM Volvo tophat seal for best luck), and make sure the belts are set right and not over or under tension. Those 4 things will help you make sure your pump has a long life - GMB installed right is probably longer-lasting than Volvo installed wrong.
 
I compared my new (as of somewhere @ 2 years ago) HEPU WP to an older, OE Volvo pump, (when they were the quality an OE Volvo WP should be)..

I found the two to look almost identical. This includes the hsg, the impeller. And likely the brand of bearing used.This leads me to believe that HEPU perhaps used to be, (although evidently not now) Volvo's OE supplier of WPs.

I've used several GMB WPs in the far past. Seems I usually got @ 30,000 miles to 40,000 miles out of them.

IME,the GMB neoprene seals and gasket seemed to be more subject to leaking with age than the OE Volvo gasket & neoprene seals

With currently installed HEPU pump, I used OE Volvo neoprene top WP seal, and heater pipe seal along with a OE Volvo WP to block gasket, and so far,at 35,000+ miles on it , it's all still doing fine.

My suggestion for you/what I do now, is to use a HEPU WP along with the OE Volvo neoprene top WP seal, and heater pipe seal ,along with a OE Volvo WP to block gasket.

I suspect/believe that the bearing and impeller of the GMB and other cheaper aftermarket WPs are inferior/not the quality of a HEPU

PROTIPS:
1) if the seal end of your heater pipe(the small red pipe that slides into the pass rear side of the WP housing using the quad seal) is original to the car( IE 20+ years old) and is rusted, and/or pitted badly, buy a new OE Volvo heater pipe and install it when you change water pumps. [/B] This way you won't be soon pulling off the new WP to do install a new heater pipe later, because the old rusted one would not seal to the quad seal.....

2) Use Water proof grease, or even wheel brg grease on the WP to block paper gasket. It'll keep the gasket surface of the block from rusting/pitting. Nope it won't cause it to leak either. Seems to make it a lot easier to remove the gasket on next WP change too IME.
 
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I put a Bosch water pump in one of my 240's in approx 1990. It was about $36. It worked fine til I got rid of the car.
A new hepu was just put in one of my 940's. The impeller, although of the above design in the pics, is no longer bronze. I got it from FCP, where its price was less than I recall in past years. Also it made some noise for the first while, til it 'ran in'. I somehow feel the need to cross fingers.
 
jerryc said:
I put a Bosch water pump in one of my 240's in approx 1990. It was about $36. It worked fine til I got rid of the car.
A new hepu was just put in one of my 940's. The impeller, although of the above design in the pics, is no longer bronze. I got it from FCP, where its price was less than I recall in past years. Also it made some noise for the first while, til it 'ran in'. I somehow feel the need to cross fingers.
Click to expand...

was it the hepu pump or the v belts that was making the noise you experienced?
 
was wondering because many wash off engine with Gunk before removing old pump/installing new one. Gunk will make the belts squeak like hell............
 
I recently replaced the water pump on my '88 244 with a Volvo unit. From the dealer, it was only $81.00 and included all of the gaskets. It does have a stamped impeller...made in the United Kingdom. Time will tell. I originally intended to buy a Hepu and use Volvo gaskets. However, the Volvo WP was in stock. I like to buy from the dealer when possible to keep that relationship current.

The one that I replaced likely only had 30,000 or so miles on it. From cleanflametrap's photos it was an Airtex. I had no issues with overheating at idle, even when using air-condition. Whoever put it on the car re-used the original gaskets. There was RTV smeared everywhere. I replaced it only because the top gasket had begun to weep. It had no seepage and the bearing feels as new. Rather than throw it away, it is now on the shelf with tons of other parts that will never be used by me.
 
Ran a Bosch on the wagon (needed in a pinch), and for $45 I don't feel I got my money's worth since it wiped out a bearing after just over a year. Replacement showed not only the bad bearing but the impeller severely corroded (even with a 50/50 mix). Never had an issue with the Hepu's to date, run the GMB's on the Dodge, been solid as well.
 
I've had good results with the GMB pumps. I do not use the rubber seals that come with them though. I get a quality brand from the auto parts store (Autozone used to sell Felpro seals) or go online and order Reinz or Elwis brand seals (FCP Groton sells the Reinz and Elwis rubber). I noticed that the GMB pumps seals were real soft. Using the GMB in combination with the aftermarket rubber has resulted in zero problems.
I used to buy Hepu but when when I held the Hepu next to a GMB I liked what I saw just fine in the construction of the GMB. It was just the rubber I thought was inferior. Upgrading the seals is just a few dollars and even with shipping the total cost was less.
 
Wow, lots of good feedback here! Veddy nice. I ordered the Hepu. While everyone seems to vouch for GMB, I'm having bad luck with them ****ting bearings (though it continues to keep my sh!t cool). I thought at first I was tightening the alternator too tight, but I can still twist the belts more than 90* and they ain't squeakin, so I feel as though they're in their comfort zone and not too tight.
 
I and put 2 Volvo water pumps and my 87 and the last time I used a autozone one with lifetime warranty. Good move because sooner or later it will fail and if will it will not cost me any money.
 
I've always had great luck with GMB...not the easiest to come by, but CarQuest usually has them in a day for me.
 
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