water pump purchase and install questions.

[redc36]

Hi guys
well my water pump has been leaking for the past 2-3 months. i just kept topping of f my coolant but i think time has come to change it before bearings seaze.

now couple of questions.
1. i researched ebay and online stores and apparantelly there are different brand waterpumps. Some are made by Graf, some are made by Bugatti and so on.
Does it matter which brand? aftermarket cost between 120-150$. i am sure if i went OEM (who makes it?) it would be 300-400$. are there reliability issues associated with aftermarket parts. i am planing to keep the car for another 1-2 years.

2. as i am changing waterpump should I change following:
a. thermostat
b. theromstat housing
c. any hoses? and which if i should?

3. i heard on some cars as u do waterpump it makes sense to do timing chain guides and so on. is this a case with C36? If so how much more work is required to change it? which parts do i need?

4. anything else u guys suggest to change for maintenance purposes like maybe coolant sensor.

thanks again

[benzaddict]

Graf water pumps are very good quality and are brand new, compared to the remanufactured pump you get from a dealer. I actually prefer the Graf pumps to OEM. A thermostat is a good idea, your thermostat cover should be metal and shouldn't need changing.

Doesn't make much sense to do a chain and rails just because you're doing a water pump, totally different repair. You're probably thinking of a Honda/Toyota where you do a timing belt when you do a water pump because you basically have to remove them to get to the water pumps. That doesn't apply to our Benz's.

Might want to check on your belt, if it's showing age now's the time to do it because you'll have to remove it to do the pump. Might also want to get 4 new 13mm hex head bolts to replace the water pump mount bolts (they are originally 6mm Allen head bolts and strip easily), they measure 8mmx1.25 and about 1.5 inches long.

Check your hoses for bulging around the clamps, if they look ok you probably don't have to worry about it. Good luck!

[Sulaco]

By the way, get ready for some scraped knucles and sore wrists. Changing the water pump ($230) on my m104 C280 took nearly 4 hours. It was ridiculous. Fan, fan shroud, fan clutch, belt tensioner, power steering was always in the way...

Good luck!

[jnenad16]

Originally posted by Sulaco
By the way, get ready for some scraped knucles and sore wrists. Changing the water pump ($230) on my m104 C280 took nearly 4 hours. It was ridiculous. Fan, fan shroud, fan clutch, belt tensioner, power steering was always in the way...

Good luck! thats why you need to remove some of those parts like the fan and the shroud and the belt. well, the book time on the water pump is about 4-5hrs.

nenad

[SLAMMED_C]

Originally posted by jnenad16
thats why you need to remove some of those parts like the fan and the shroud and the belt. well, the book time on the water pump is about 4-5hrs.

nenad
yeh exactly.. those m104 motors are a bitch.. it will take you at least that.. maybe longer.

[Sulaco]

Originally posted by jnenad16
thats why you need to remove some of those parts like the fan and the shroud and the belt. well, the book time on the water pump is about 4-5hrs.

nenad

Yeah, I didn't exactly word that right. The power steering was always in the way, but everything else mentioned before that I had to remove (sometimes not easily done!)

[fltrplntman]

When all is said and done with the water pump job... watch the tension on your belts. You only want them tight enough so they don't sqeal. This is the main reason the water pump fails. Too much tension on the belts. The abnormal tension puts too much side load on the bearings in the water pump. And they fail.
I just crushed an 84 190e with 350,000 miles. The last water pump lasted a lot longer then the second to the last because the belt was way too tight before I replaced it .
I don't know about your cars, but my 98 C230 looks like a piece of cake to replace the water pump. One serpentine belt 2 hoses and 6 bolts. No mechanical fan to deal with. Yippee!!!