Should I replace my water pump now or wait for the Virginia meet?

[Ryans323i]

I had a complete (or what I thought was complete) cooling system overhaul in July 2008. Radiator, expansion tank, fan, new BMW coolant at 156,383miles all done at the BMW dealership (this was before I started DIYing). Notice something missing? Yep, the water pump.

The car now has 196,xxx. I've been thinking about this big trip to VA and couldn't remember the mileage when I had that cooling overhaul done. Looking at the receipt is when I noticed there wasn't a water pump change.

I've had the car since the odometer rolled 100k miles, and I've never replaced the water pump!

Do you think I should go ahead and replace the water pump now or wait to do it at the VA meet in May?

[Hermes]

How many miles are you gonna put on it between now and then? If I were you I might chance it and wait until the meet. Also, Stewart or original?

[telijah]

Well, maybe go ahead and order one and just keep it with you. They can be relatively easy to fix with only a few hand tools.

[Ryans323i]

I was thinking the stewart, but once I think I'd just get the OE. The car has a lot of miles and once the engine goes or I get another DD, I'd like to put a bigger motor in it.

I doubt I'll put more than 2k miles on the car before May. I'd just hate for the water pump to fail on the way to VA. But I would like to do the swap up there with everyone.

[spencers]

Do it now. Peace of mind while driving on a road trip is worth more than anything

[UdubBadger]

had to reread that title to make sure it said Virginia

[danewilson77]

Well, maybe go ahead and order one and just keep it with you. They can be relatively easy to fix with only a few hand tools.

True... But failure sometimes causes other damage. I would do it before... Honestly.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[Hermes]

failure sometimes causes other damage.

+1 - Mine failed (at around 68k) and destroyed my pulley and belt. I have a remanufactured one for now until I buy the Stewart and do my rebuild

[Ryans323i]

What Spencers said makes the most sense. Since I'm already worried about it, I should just go ahead a do it.

Thanks everybody!

[kayger12]

True... But failure sometimes causes other damage. I would do it before... Honestly.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

Late to the game, but just to reinforce- I agree 100% with this.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[WOLFN8TR]

:confirmed

Replace That Sucker!

[static667]

Yeah. Go ahead and get it done. Less stress while driving.

[cakM3]

Yes Ryan, like others here have said.....do it now to have peace of mind for when you do your road trip. Not worth the gamble IMHO...I'll be doing mine as well before the meet :)

[llll1l1ll]

If you replace it now, you won't spend the whole trip staring at the temperature gauge and will be focusing on the road instead.

[Ryans323i]

If you replace it now, you won't spend the whole trip staring at the temperature gauge and will be focusing on the road instead.

I wish that were the case but since June 30, 2008 roughly 12pm when my expansion tank exploded and my car bled to death, I can't stop staring at that damn thing. lol

Thanks for all the confirmation guys. Def the right choice to get-er-done now. Hopefully we'll get a fender roller up in VA so I'll still have something to do.

[Ryans323i]

Got the water pump changed. Did the belts and AC tensioner pulley while I was in there. I had replaced the other tensioner pulley and idler pulley less than a year ago.

I was pretty bummed when I pulled the old water pump out. The new pump I put in has a plastic impeller, the old one had a metal impeller. So it must have been replaced before I bought the car in '04. Either way it's got a new one in there and should last another 60k miles. Everything went well, with no hiccups, and now I'll have peace of mind on the way to SIG-fest.

David (Mtnman) stopped by and changed his rear diff fluid, and helped with my coolant refill. More importantly he let me drive his ZHP. And I was impressed!

[kayger12]

What was the brand of the pump? Hopefully it was composite and not plastic. They look similar.

Metal impellers suffer bearing failures, so either way 60K would be your "safe" change out in the future.

[Ryans323i]

Bosche, so I'm sure it's composite.

I'm also just not sure if this engine is going to see another 60k miles. I'm at 196k, I put roughly 3-4k a year, maybe, and in the next 10 years I see my self heavily modding in that area. After I get another BMW of course. lol.

[kayger12]

Haha-- sounds good, Ryan.

[brettbimmer]

Ryan, plenty of time left on the engine if it has had good basic routine maintenance. My M44 is humming along at 235k!

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[WOLFN8TR]

Hey Ryan when David did the tranny oil how did he go about lifting it high enough? I've read several DIY's and it seems like a lift is a must to do this.

[Ryans323i]

I had a brain fart, he changed the rear diff fluid. Sorry for the confusion.

[LivesNearCostco]

I changed my tranny fluid once using jack stands. My biggest gripe--besides breaking one of the plugs and needing to run to the auto parts store for a relacement--was my $8 fluid pump was slow so I had to pump it like 400 times to transfer 1.8 quarts, and about 0.2 quarts of that new tranny fluid dripped down the fill hose onto my arms and garage floor. Using a nicer fluid pump with a fill hose that hooks into the fill port would probably resolve that.

Anytime I'm getting fully under the car for transmission mounts, DSSR (which includes removing exhaust), transmission drain, motor mounts, etc., I have to raise it up in a two-step process to get it high enough and level. Lowering it is also a 2-step process for me. So I'm thinking of getting Rhino Ramps. Not sure how well they work with RWD cars. Will make a separate thread asking about that.