Water pump - plastic vs metal

Mar 1, 2009
1,079
0
Liverpool
I would play it safe and go for a metal one.

May cost a little more, but if the plastic one goes then its basically another cambelt strip-down.
 

Willie

LCR Track car
Aug 6, 2004
8,939
1
Sunny Scotland
I've spoken to some people who say the metal one has never existed, it has always been plastic just the new ones are harder plastic
 

meltonlad

Active Member
Mar 21, 2009
391
0
huntingdon
ive got a metal one on mine... cost about £3.00 extra for metal and the bloke at the garage said that he would never fit plastic one's..
 

ibizacupra

Jack-RIP my little Friend
Jul 25, 2001
31,333
19
glos.uk
VW never changed from plastic..
after market ones were somtimes metal depending on who they bought from

so say, latest VAG ones are an improved, but still plastic design. I can say they look just the same construction to me, but maybe the grade of plastic this time is better.. only time will tell

badgerwagen runs a metal one however.
 

andycupra

status subject to change
there was a local garage that appeared to have a business in simply selling the metal impellar pumps. However this company went under last year.
Metal impellar pumps definately exist/existed, however im not sure they were VAG/dealer stock held parts.
 
I just had a metal on fitted. Was a tad more expensive.

My mechanic explained the big design flaw in the nylon vs metal. Seemed like they really dropped the ball when they designed the originals.

He showed me my plastic one when I picked teh car up, the impellor was all cracked where it connects to the spindle where it had heated up and expended.
 

LEE69

Stage 2 Revo'd
Dec 10, 2004
21,262
74
C\UK\Devon\Torquay
Mine was metal too, got it from seremotors on here.

Here is my broken plastic one

pump.jpg
 

Genoc

Active Member
Mar 6, 2010
98
0
East Sussex
Ive justs got my cam belt kit from vw dealers and the water pump is plastic also.. this is there most up to date stock..

so now im confused..metal or plastic.. HELP!
 

Rich23 UK

Slave to my LCR
Sep 15, 2009
240
0
Devon
I had my water pump and cambelt changed by a stealer and at the time I was in a similar situation. I asked the steamer to source and fit a metal one but they said couldn't source one and it wouldn't be covered by them if it went wrong. So ended up with the plastic one they recommended.
They also said that yes the plastic one could fail but wouldn't cause as much damage as a metal one failing.
That doesn't mean to say I've heard of a metal one failing.
 
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Genoc

Active Member
Mar 6, 2010
98
0
East Sussex
thanks for the reply..
yeah i got plastic too.. i guess if the car does 60k before its changed with plastic, then its good for another 60k ish :)
 

Steely

semiskimmed cupra R
Dec 30, 2008
1,425
5
Doncaster
i fitted the metal one myself, it was a 3rd party product,


the metal impellor will not physically break, if anythings to go on a waterpump barring the plastic version it'd be the seal or phospor bushing, which if seized would strip your cambelt anyways,

i wouldnt personally worry about it, a lot of water pumps are plastic impellored, a big factor that causes an impellor is the incorrect anti freeze mix in the winter, in which the coolant can freeze and causes damage once the engine is fired up, = bang dead waterpump
 
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