Water Pump Failure

[tracktoy]

The reason for my post is I am trying to get rid of as much of the plastic parts in the engine bay to stop issues down the road.

To this post I am looking for some help with the water pump failure.

So there is a Pump Element and there is the thermostat housing part.

Now Bar Tek make an upgraded water pump which they state "The problem with the series water pumps is that the plastic wheel can come loose from the shaft. As a result of this, the water pump drops completely and the engine gets hot. This can cause critical engine damage!" but to my mind this is not the same as the common issue with the leaking water pump." Now I am happy to replace this element in due time as my engine spends a lot of time on the track.

But I have not yet found a metal replacement for the thermostat housing part.

I have seen a number of "REPAIR KITS" and as I have already had the water pump replaced my question is the leaking part normally the thermostat housing and if so are the new revisions good enough That I don't need to worry about the plastic leaking again.

 

[nd-photo.nl]

I think I see them existing for Gen1 & Gen2 Partnr should be : 06H121026DD

The search continues...

 

[SuperV8]

I think I see them existing for Gen1 & Gen2 Partnr should be : 06H121026DD

The search continues...

VAG never made a full aluminum housing - this is an aftermarket copy with a fake box.
There are some aftermarket brands with metal housing for the older EA888 - for example, INA switched from plastic to metal housing.

But on your GEN 3 pump - 06L121111P, they still have a plastic housing. I can't see any AM brand with a metal housing for this latest version.
Is this because there is less of a problem with these later versions? - or because no one yet has the tooling to cast the housing? I suspect the later!