[MINTYGOLF02]

Times are hard and I'm a poor artist. My car has done 203K miles. I need to replace a leaky noisy water pump and have a few questions - is it possible to change out the water pump easily without faffing about with the whole timing kit? I know people will say that I should replace the whole lot for the minimal cost, but if the belt looks good and there are no other rattles or squeaks I don't see why I can't try to save a few quid and a bit of effort on what is an old banger (yet which could still do another couple of hundred thousand miles!!). Thoughts on best water pumps axial/ centrifugal and plastic vs metal impellor issue?

 

[ttg4l]

It's possible, anything is possible, but I don't see why you would only do the water pump.

A timing belt won't rattle or squeak, one day it'll either strip teeth and slip or just snap. Both resulting in catastrophic engine damage.

The labour cost is the expensive part, and is the same for both a timing belt job or a water pump job. Labour is likely 3 hours from an indie garage, at around £60-£80 an hour. Timing belt + water pump kits are around £100. Water pumps alone are around £30.

Total of around £270 for just a water pump replacement, or £340 for timing belt and water pump. Both prices are excluding antifreeze and any sundries required, and assuming your water pump is actually timing belt driven.

You haven't mentioned which car this is on, which would help.

 

[MINTYGOLF02]

It's possible, anything is possible, but I don't see why you would only do the water pump.

A timing belt won't rattle or squeak, one day it'll either strip teeth and slip or just snap. Both resulting in catastrophic engine damage.

The labour cost is the expensive part, and is the same for both a timing belt job or a water pump job. Labour is likely 3 hours from an indie garage, at around £60-£80 an hour. Timing belt + water pump kits are around £100. Water pumps alone are around £30.

Total of around £270 for just a water pump replacement, or £340 for timing belt and water pump. Both prices are excluding antifreeze and any sundries required, and assuming your water pump is actually timing belt driven.

You haven't mentioned which car this is on, which would help.

Thanks for replying! The RAC guy said the belts last forever, it is when the moving parts size that the teeth strip. 30 pounds is what I found for the pump alone and I'll be doing the work myself so 30 is a bit different to 300! I did the whole timing kit replacement myself five years ago at 120K. Do you know how easy it is just to pop in a new water pump? Any guidance on pump types? Many thanks. Sorry I'm new to this and thought details of my car would show on my profile. I'm 1.9TDI ASZ 2002. Please bar in mind most people would say my car is scrap! I wouldn't contemplate this on a newer car.

 

[ttg4l]

Thanks for replying! The RAC guy said the belts last forever, it is when the moving parts size that the teeth strip. 30 pounds is what I found for the pump alone and I'll be doing the work myself so 30 is a bit different to 300! I did the whole timing kit replacement myself five years ago at 120K. Do you know how easy it is just to pop in a new water pump? Any guidance on pump types? Many thanks. Sorry I'm new to this and thought details of my car would show on my profile. I'm 1.9TDI ASZ 2002. Please bar in mind most people would say my car is scrap! I wouldn't contemplate this on a newer car.

It's pretty much the same process as doing the timing belt, so you should be fine. Just set the timing marks, undo the tensioner, remove the belt, swap the water pump (3 bolts), belt back on, tensioner tightened back up. Top up antifreeze and bleed the system, self bleeding so just leave the expansion tank cap off and let it burp itself until no more bubbles come through.

Gates and Dayco are my choices when it comes to timing kit and water pump manufacturers.

 

[adam-]

A full INA kit is £106. A full Dayco kit is £96. The waterpump is the last thing to come out when doing these, so if you've stripped it down, for the sake of another £60 it makes absolutely no sense to just do a pump unless you're confident that the belt is new.

The RAC guy is a melon, belts absolutely do not last.

 

[Matt_keys]

If your that strapped for cash I have a dayco belt you can have for free. At least do the belt and you could reuse the tensioner. I mean I've done it but I wouldn't recommend it

Least you could buy the parts bit by bit. And only need the pump and tensioner.

 

[MINTYGOLF02]

That's extremely kind and I'm quite humbled! DM me at [email protected]

 

[Matt_keys]

No worries.. Sent an email.. Just send me your address and I'll send it tomorrow.

 

[adam-]

Top bloke!

 

[Matt_keys]

I dropped you an email I didn't get a reply. Do you want to message me on here.

 

[Karim]

Cambelt can be done at indies for about £320-£360 all inc, parts & labour. (I'm guessing these days it will be more than that).

Whether you do the whole kit or just the water pump, the labour cost is the same, the labour is around £180-£200. Because to get to the water pump they have to do all the same timing procedures.

You really are not doing yourself any favours by wanting to do the water pump alone. Just pay £100 more, get the whole thing done and you're good for another 60K miles.

It never makes sense in the long run to do half jobs.

I have mates who put second hand tryres on for £35. No valve, no balance. many of them have flat spots, several puncture repairs etc, only 5mm tread on them (that's 3mm usable tread left). For £60 they can get a brand tyre fitted professionally, balanced, new valve etc, 8mm tread. I tell them it's not worth getting 2nd hand just put it on your credit card and get the job done properly.

 

[MINTYGOLF02]

Hi everyone and thanks for your replies and kind offer of parts. When I got it all apart it was full of crud around the crank pulley and everything looking worn! I bought a complete timing kit and new water pump and found it a lot easier second time around. However I need a bit of reassurance as the new tensioner looks different to the old one - doesn't seem to have the locking hole any more. If I turn it to tension the belt and then tighten the retaining nut to the correct torque rating then that's all I need to do? No VAG locking tool required? It seems like an improvement if so, as I found the old tensioner very fiddly last time and wasn't sure whether I had locked it or not so I just tightened down the nut and hoped for the best - and lasted 80k!
Many thanks.

 

[gerrywac]

You need to lock the crank pully with the tool and pin the camshaft pully and set the tensioner, remove both and turn the engine by hand till the marks align and that the lock tool and pin slot in place and recheck before firing up.

Sent from my HRY-LX1T using Tapatalk

 

[MINTYGOLF02]

If only it were that simple. By the way, this may interest someone that I got a free upgrade from Eurocarparts to the Ina timing kit after I complained that the Dayco tensioner didn't have the locking pin hole. (Photo attached). So I followed the steps as per Haynes and myturbodiesel without loosening the outer cam sprocket bolts, but when I went to turn it over manually I lost the tension. I tried to realign the marks on crank sprocket and cam sprocket 6mm pin - however every time I did so and tried to re tension and remove vag tools / manual turn over the tensioner slackened. I realised the crank sprocket was no longer at TDC (out by maybe one or two teeth) so took the belt off and started again. However every time there must have been slightly too much tension on the left hand side of the belt which was causing the slackening. I found the only way to do it was to loosen the three outer cam sprocket bolts before tensioning. However now it is all back together I'm concerned that the bolts are no longer dead in the middle which should mean timing is only slightly out so no piston valve contact - but I don't have the counter hold tool to adjust it. If locking tools all fit and tensioner is in the right position is it really worth worrying about? I'm also not 100% sure whether the arrow on the tensioner should be pointing towards the middle or to the right hand side of the gap - various places say different things.