944Will

Hi all,

I have had two Porsche Pro's warn me away from Laso water pumps and in fact everything except the OEM Porsche pump.

I have a 1990 S2 and the part number is 944 106 021 24

The Laso is half the price of the genuine pump almost everywhere and a search does not turn up anything overly dramatic.

I heard something about them moving manufacturing from Germany to India (?) and a fall in quality.

I don't think it is purely the Pros pushing genuine Porsche OEM - they are both specialists and independents; one specifically specialises in these models and warned that it was becoming a problem.

Clearly the conservative attitude is to suck it up, pay for the genuine article if you have any reservations as it is such a keystone component.

Interested to hear if anyone can shed any light on these somewhat unsubstantiated opinions I have got from otherwise highly credible sources.

W

Black Sea RD

I'll give this a try.

Here are a few problems that have been noticed by Porsche owners using aftermarket water pumps:

1. Aftermarket water pumps can have problems with the impeller or pulley migrating off the shaft. This migration is usually because of looser fit tolerances of the press fits of both these parts onto the shaft. This problem is also found with all rebuilt water pumps, even Porsche rebuilt ones.

2. The water impeller if metal can machine into the engine block if it moves off the shaft. However poor quality plastic impellers have been known to fail causing overheating and subsequent engine damage.

3. Seals and bearings used vary from each manufacturer and lesser quality ones can fail prematurely.

4. The water pump body castings vary in the type of casting method used, casting material and machining afterwards. This can then cause problems with leaking and/or fitment.

There is usually a reason why a water pump is cheaper than other water pumps. Meeting product price points as the overall goal other than it's operating parameters will cause manufacturers to use cheaper (usually read as lesser quality) manufacturing methods and parts to make them.

Professional techs who have been in business for awhile usually have a lot of history with failures experienced from using sub-standard after market parts.

As you said, the water pump is a critical item for the 944s and if they fail it costs a lot to get back in there to change them out, not too mention the damage bad water pumps can cause to the engine/valvetrain.

All this being said, Laso has been in business for many years and do provide water pumps that are used for many applications to include 944s. The decision on which to use is ultimately yours as are the consequences.

HTH,

Tedro951

Constantine said it best!

It would be rare for a reputable shop to use any aftermarket part when the genuine is available. I'm a big fan of OE, but I went with a rebuilt pump from a RL vendor (NOT spray painted). The casting was genuine, and rebuilding a WP is about as slow pitch as it gets, not that some haven't had problems. It just boiled down to the math. The savings on the pump paid for the belts, rollers, gasket, antifreeze, thermostat, etc.

I can't imagine the bill from a shop for all this.

xschop

1,2,3 all day with the Chinese pumps....4 not as common, but happens. Another bad design by Porsche. Just design your impeller to be a large end mill for your engine block. The 928 crowd has had a multitude of these events to the point someone designed a system to fix it....it's not pretty.

Fintro11

I ended up going with a rebuilt wp on ebay they are usually around $100, I haven't had any problems with it

John_AZ

Zims will reject WP cores if the impeller has rubbed the casing and removed material. Zims says this will cause poor circulation. Many rebuilders would use this casing.

Off brand WPs can have the same physical shape but not the correct thickness in the casting. This has been shown in some Chinese products.

As mentioned, there are cheap WP bearings and seals being used.

Conclusion: If the WP fails, the cooling system can overheat or the bearing failure will loosen the cam belt and damage the head.

Zims--Rennlist Sponsor. Rebuilt, 2 year warranty and about $98 exchange.

John

mytrplseven

I obtained a Non-OEM water pump from a company called GMB for a very good price. I'm not sure about the history of parts that may have been purchased from this company but where water pumps are concerned I am now becoming a bit wary about installing it. I've enclose a few pics of the pump. The box says in small print: made in china but the housing says made in Germany. Also shown are two part numbers and the roller is not as well clad in the shiny gold clad that an OEM part might have. Of course the impeller feels smooth and free but that's no guarantee. It included the gasket and new mounting bolts. Does anyone have any history of using their water pumps or other critical engine parts from them? I know I'll get opinions about this but specifics are what I'm looking for. Thanks in advance.

CyCloNe!

GMB is the company we used at Advance Auto Parts for brand new water pumps, they also come with a limited lifetime warranty against defects.

whalebird

I have a WP bought from ebay...'new'. Can't remember the brand; I recall made in Germany, but was cast in China IIRC(metal impeller). I'm about 20K miles into it's life and have no problems at all. I do look and listen with a stethoscope almost weekly, and just installed a new Tbelt related to other repairs which could upset an old pump. I have the 9201 tension tool. I will check/reset tension in another 250 miles, but I do keep an eye on this thing.
I strongly recommend a known good pump to anyone and took the risk on my own. Constantine's torque tube bearings just moved way up my list of projects...of which I also strongly recommend.

edit: Hamburg Technic from Deutch Parts is my pump.

944Ross

Is that being sold as a New or as a Rebuilt/Remanufactured? If it were a rebuilt, it could have an OEM casting and new chinese internals.

dropride

We use GMB pumps all the time in the shop i work at and haven't had any problems with them. Haven't had to do one on a porsche yet though.

mytrplseven

It's a "new" WP. I don't do rebuilds on anything. I was just needing some comments, pos or neg, about this pump. Thanks, all.

Travis - sflraver

We have always had good luck with the new LASO water pumps.

xschop

I've seen Chinese mfrs hijack a brand casting and install their inferior parts. I also recently observed a WP (non-P) that was reman-ed and the housing/block interface was machined clean and the old impeller installed. There is a tight tolerance that the impeller rests at against the block and I feel sorry for the guy that got that one.

smokin_944

I have never had a problem with Laso water pumps and I have 168,000 miles on my 944. I have replaced the pump twice. I have never considered a rebuilt but I am not willing to buy OEM as my neighbor's OEM gave up the ghost at 32 or 33 thousand miles. Whatever you feel comfortable with but I think Travis is right. My .02 cents...