skullbyka

There are several Water pumps available for my Boxster 2.7 MY2001

does anyone know what material the propellers are made of in the Laso and Geba Brands ?

( I cant get an answer from Eurocarparts - even though they sell the blooming things ! )

Circoli = Metal

KWP = Metal

VM - Porsche = Plastic Composite

Laso Brand ?

Geba Brand ?

Macster

Don't know the answer to the impeller material question for the water pumps above other than of course the factory water pump, which has a composite plastic impeller. My advice is use the Porsche water pump with its composite plastic impeller. The factory water pump is tough and the water pump can last a long time. The factory pump lasted 172K miles in my 2002 Boxster and the replacement pump (factory water pump) was just fine at 317K miles. Be sure you change the T-Stat at the same time and my advice is use the factory T-stat. If you do the job yourself drop the old and new T-stats in a pot of water on the stove and heat the water and with a thermometer note the temperature both T-stats open and how far. You want to be sure the new T-stat opens at the right temperature and opens fully.

Even with a new pump and certainly as the miles accumulate you have to be on some alert for any signs of water pump failure. The one in my Boxster made noise at cold engine start. I removed the belt and confirmed after starting/running the enigne sans the serpentine belt the noise was not from inside the engine. A check of accessory drive play found some play -- but not much -- at the water pump. The other accessory drives had none -- and all were working fine at 317K miles -- so I put the belt on and flat bedded the car to a dealer for a new water pump/T-stat.

Where some make a mistake is trying to nurse a failed water pump. In the case of a plastic impeller pump if the water pump develops too much bearing play the impeller can contact the block and this can shred the impeller. The impeller blades run very close to the block to improve the efficiency/effectiveness of the water pump. If the plastic impeller contacts the block this is bad enough but with a metal impeller this can damage the block and a new water pump may not be as effective/efficient as the clearance between the impeller blades and block has been opened up.

No direct experience but I've read some posts that indicate aftermarket water pumps don't seem to hold up very well.

To help whatever water pump you end up with last start off with a fresh mix of Porsche anti-freeze and distilled water -- 50:50 blend -- and every 4 years or so drain and replace this with fresh. The anti-freeze has additives that help the water pump seal last.

This is important. I note in the case of my Boxster I did this and the seal didn't leak the water pump bearing wore out. In the case of my Turbo which had no coolant change its first 6 years at 112K miles the water seal developed a leak.

skullbyka

Deserion

Stick with a Pierburg (OE sans Porsche Tax) water pump. Yes it's composite, and is what came in the car originally. Macster explained the positives of the composite versus metal impeller regarding bearing degradation.

bcrdukes

I'm with Macster on this one.

While not a Porsche, my previous BMW M3 had a metal impeller, however, the bearing failed rendering the entire unit unreliable. I wished that it was an OE unit or at least OEM.

Tom R.

Go on the BMW forums and read about water pumps. More info than you woluld want. bcrdukes summed it up. I replaced the metal impeller pump in my daughters 323Ci with a composite a few months ago. Car had 88k miles. The original metal impeller felt fine, but.... Like Macster explained, better safe than sorry.

I put a Graf in the BMW since it was listed as OEM.