R-J-R

I purchased a 1987 928 S4 with 60,000 miles and no problems beyond a little bit of a leak. It'll run within the normal temperature range, but does drip water. The timing belt and water pump were replaced 12,000 miles ago.

My intention is to drive it from Vancouver, Canada, to Toronto, Canada, a trip of 2400 miles through the northern continental United States, as it would be slightly cheaper than shipping the car and I'd consider it a nice vacation.

Does anyone foresee any problems?
Is there anything I should do before disembarking?

Many thanks!

jmrjames

I recommend that you fix it before such a trip unless you want some side of the road excitement.

Landseer

Was it a dealer-installed new Porsche water pump?

I think also if you so some searching here about water pumps you will answer your own question.

R-J-R

I'm told it's only a trickle and it's not an issue when driving for an hour, just that it'll lose a cup of water or so when parked for a while.

I believe it was a new OEM pump, but installed by a private garage specialized in Porsches.

GlenL

Have you had the belt covers off to see that it's the water pump? Could be coming from somewhere else.

How much is dripping? How much do you need to fill after 500 miles of driving?

R-J-R

When the brakes were done the mechanic noted that it was dripping, and said it was either the water pump or could just be a gasket.

I'm not sure how much would need to be filled after 500 miles, but I'm told it'll drip about a cup's worth when parked.

PorKen

The leak may be a symptom of a more chronic problem such as bearing failure, or migration of the impeller/axle/pulley assembly.

dimmer

I had a similar situation when I purchased my 928. The salesman assured me that the timing belt and waterpump were replaced recently, but couldn't show any proof. A couple months later, the low coolant light comes on and I see a trail of wet pavement behind me in the rear view. Fortunately, I was close to home. When I took everything apart, it was obvious that the timing belt was indeed new, yet the seized bolts on the waterpump assured me that it wasn't. Also, the rubber boot on the TB tensioner was hard & brittle. Basically, unless you take it apart yourself and see it for yourself, don't take anyone's word for it. If the bearing is gone on your waterpump, that slow leak could turn into a steady stream quickly.

Vancouver to Toronto is a heck of a haul especially with a known issue. Imagine what you could be faced with if it goes in the middle of prairie country. You will eventually have to fix it ... do it under your own terms. Trying looking up Jager Engineering in your area.

Landseer

Its fairly easy to misdiagnose the source of such a leak on these due to clutter. Need to first remove the pans underneath and see exactly where the water is dripping from as a first step.

Might not be pump.

If it is pump, I'd never disembark without replacing it with a new, not rebuilt one. And I'd specify to the shop which of two brand new pumps I wanted. New Porsche ($650+) or New Lasso ($250) from a known new batch. If I had a little extra money, it would be Porsche. But I don't, so it would be the new, not rebuilt, Lasso. Only sourced from a supplier here.

Evidence of various types here have strongly suggested that rebuilt pumps should be avoided, at least that's my takeaway. As should knock-offs. Shops likely don't have a clue and could substitute, BTW.


Overheating is the lesser of the worries on these cars when it comes to pump failure. Machining the block is the worry.

R-J-R

Ok, I'm going to have a Porsche mechanic inspect the car before I fly out to it.

If the problem is the pump, I'll buy a new Laso pump and have that installed along with a new timing belt. How much should I expect to pay for labor alone?

If it's too much I'll just get it shipped to Toronto for $1100 (that's the lowest quote I got from SeaRail; Hansen's wanted $1600) and have the work done with my usual mechanic.

ROG100

Latest price on the new Porsche pump is $1011 at my price based on the April price list from Porsche.
OUCH!!!!

linderpat

Get it fixed regardless of shipping it or driving it. A pump failure can cause a lot more than just a pump replacement issue - like a new block!
Also, validate the pump as an issue - simple pressure test on mine showed a loose hose at the water bridge, and not a pump problem, even tho that's how it loked from underneath.

blown 87

If you drive that car with a leaky WP I am not going to shed one tear if you bend valves, lose a head gasket, or eat up the block.

Fix it.

jmrjames

There is a lot of good advice here.

The best thing to do is find out what the problem is and fix it.

If you have time you could fly out and observe the car first hand with a mechanic. That way you can control the situation in person and not over the phone. You will have to worry less about what was or was not accomplished and with what parts.

BTW did you buy this car without a test drive or PPI ?

andy-gts

My little drip turned out to be impleller migration and chewed into the block