ROG100

How many are running Laso pumps with no issues?

All my cars have Laso pumps and so far all are good. My GTS went 50k on an old Laso. I only changed it for the plastic impeller so there would not be a catastrofic failure.

namasgt

Hi Erling,

Can you please tell us what tensioning system you were using for your timing belt? Factory tensioner or PKensioner?

Mrmerlin

FWIW I have installed atleast 15 Laso pumps.
I have also put one on my 88 S4,
thats after a new Porsche pump started leaking at 1500 miles,
then the replacement rebuilt pump had the bearing start to migrate that lasted only 10K miles.
No issues so far on the new Laso

docmirror

I think the torque drag of the right side cams is detrimental to our water pumps. The 968 water pump has a similar design for the drive. The shaft is prolly a bit smaller, but there is no cam drag on the 944/968. The only thing we have is a modern style tensioner. I haven't heard any complaints about the 944/968 water pumps.

That's the only thing I can think of that makes our 928 water pumps so vulnerable to early failure. Just too much non-uniform pressure on the pump shaft and seals.

Erling G-P

It's the factory tensioner.

Regards,
Erling

namasgt

Was the belt re tensioned after the recommended first few miles (first ~1500 miles) since install?

Lizard928

Better question, how was the belt tensioned?

Bjbpe

Answer to Rog100

The first pump failure was a blown seal while I was driving at about 90 mph (I was a lot younger then and I bought the car new when I was 52 years old - I'm now 77). The second pump failed the pulley (distorted but did not come off). I was driving very slow and I don't think the timing belt skipped (hope, pray). Both pumps had the metal impeller.

Randy V

Fantastic!

Erling G-P

Namasgt & Colin:

Yes, the belt was retensioned - or rater 're-loosened'.

My regular, non-Porsche workshop did the timing belt and water pump replacement.

Shortly after (before ~1500 Mi AFAIK), it was checked by an independent Porsche specialist, while searching for a mysterious noise. They found it to be a little too tight and so loosened it a bit. They used the Porsche tool for checking.

Hasn't been touched since this and the pump failure, so assuming the specialist set the tension correctly, I wouldn't expect it to have been too tight. Should be noted that the specialist is handling 928s regularly, so they should know what they're doing.

Regards,
Erling

Dave928S

Sorry to hijack ... but I'm impressed too I wonder how many original purchasers are out there.

Nice wheels Erling.

ROG100

That is awesome and thanks for the answer. I really need to know the make of the pumps and if they were new or rebuilt??

GregBBRD

This water pump "thing" is so...redundant.

As someone who has literally seen/repllaced hundreds of 928 water pumps (literally), let me try to pass on my own, personal thoughts....for what they are worth.

Water pumps fail. It doesn't matter if Laso makes them, Porsche makes them, a sloppy rebuilder makes them, or Jesus himself makes them. Water pumps fail!

However, the only tolerable failure is from the seal leaking and the bearing getting noisy from water washing away the lubricant. It's intolerable for either the pulley, the bearing, or the impeller to migrate!

That being said, it a given that it is a really difficult task to keep pressurized hot water out of a bearing when the two are millimeters away from each other. This task is done with a seal....and seals fail. Doesn't matter what kind of seal, they all fail. All that needs to happen is for a tiny piece of debris to get under the corner of the seal and it will leak. Seals fail and ruin the bearings.

I sell Laso pumps and factory Porsche pumps. The quality of the Porsche pumps is first class. It's hard to find fault with an single individual piece that is used to make the Porsche pump. There's only one "downside". They are expensive.

I used to sell and install rebuilt Porsche pumps. There is apparently one major vendor that rebuilds these pumps. That vendor used to do an excellent job at rebuilding these pumps. They use a very high quality bearing and a high quality seal....always have. I personally saw very few failures of these pumps.

And then something changed. Apparently it took too much time to "check" impellers and pulleys for how tight they fit on the shafts. I guess it took too much time to measure things. Anyway, once these pumps had been rebuilt a couple of times, these pulleys and impellers were worn, just from pressing them on and off. The result? Pulleys and impellers began falling off in intolerable amounts. Can't use those...intolerable is...well, intolerable.

In Germany, "Laso" pumps are the equivalent of going over to Pep Boys and getting a water pump for your Chevy, here. I don't think that I can/need to explain it more than that. It's simple. It's not the "best" pump on the market, in Germany. Why people think it is going to be the best part on the market here, is beyond me.

I'm always going to be "disappointed" with Laso. I persoanlly believe that those "Version 1" (as Roger refers to them) pumps caused more financial damage to 928 engines than the total price differences between Laso pumps and a Porsche pumps would add up to, to the end of time. Yep, that's what I said....I believe that if Laso had never built a 928 water pump and people only could have bought brand new Porsche pumps, the 928 world, as a whole, would have been many, many tens of thousands of dollars ahead! I absolutely guaranatee that this statement is true, for me and my shop!

So many of those pumps had the impellers fall off and ruin/damage engine blocks that it is difficult to even guess a number. I imagine one could go back and ask Laso how many of those pumps they made, total....and that would be the number that ruined/damaged blocks. Ceertainly, a few people "got lucky" and had the seal/bearing fail before the impeller fell off, but that is a small number, from what I've seen. These pumps were the sole reason that I made a "fixture" and inserts to repair damaged blocks....without these pumps, I would ahve never needed to do this! That's inexcusable! I believe that if Laso was based here, they would have almost certainly had a "class action" lawsuit over those pumps (and I would have gladly been the first person on the list)....they were that bad!

That being said, the "Version 2" pumps (where they simply added a bushing to make the fit tighter between the bearing and the impeller) and the "Version 3" pumps (with plastic impeller) seem to have a good track record and are a resonable "lower cost" alternative to the genuine Porsche pump. Reasonable alternative.

I've made it realy pretty simple, for my customers. If they have a "high dollar future collectable 928", or they need to have their 928 be as reliable as possible, buy a Porsche pump. However, if they have a "weekend" 928 and they want to save some money and are willing to take the "risk" (I will not warranty the labor required to change a defective Laso pump....I don't care which "Version" it is....I've "eaten" the labor to warranty more Laso pumps or to repair the damage caused by these pumps than any human should have to indure), I'll gladly install a Laso pump.

As I said, I stock both pumps. I stock multiples of the Porsche pumps. I stock one of each version of the Laso pumps. In the end, it's the customer's choice...but as the old warrior that was protecting the Holy Grail, in the Indiana Jones movie said:

"Choose wisely."

Bilal928S4

I thought Porsche was only selling a rebuilt pump? Is that a incorrect?

ROG100

Porsche sells a rebuild but it is rebuilt by the same company that rebuilt all the pumps that failed. I will not use them and currently do not sell them unless a customer specifically wants one and accepts liability for it.
Porsche also sell a new pump with a plastic impeller - comes with a gasket and new bolts IIRC - current price is $1107.00