Right. Just got off the phone to a local independent garage in regards to a cambelt change on my fabia vrs.  After reading online about the need for a water pump with a metal impeller - I requested he replace mine with the same.

 

BUT! The guy advised me that he doesn't recommend a metal impeller. Reason being, if/when the bearing fails, the metal impeller will grind into the cylinder & cause much more damage to the car. Whereas the reason stock impeller's are plastic is because they simply snap off when the bearing goes - so don't damage anything else.

 

He advised, as long as the waterpump is changed at every cambelt change - the plastic impeller will be just fine.

 

Thoughts?

 

The impeller as much of a issue on the Fabia vrs as far as I know, its a 1.8t problem. I've always just replaced with stock items (on its 3rd now) no issues.

I've just replaced mine, took a metal one off and has been replaced with a gates plastic one. My advice is get a decent one wether you go plastic or metal. I paid £102 for a gates water pump kit (water pump and timing belt kit in one box), these probably make the kits for vag a yway but are probably the best kit about, virtually every garage use gates kits or at least all the garages I know

Cheers guys. Yes I went with his advice and sticking to the plastic one. Then 4yrs/60k's piece of mind!

Plastic one for sure!

Dealers using contitech belt kits.

The problem with water pumps was as mentioned above mainly on the 1.8T petrol engines. I prefer plastic impellers as if a metal one siezes it can throw the cambelt off.

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Take a look at http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/245632-teach-the-dealer

All here singing the same tune, I'd tend to agree with this too

 

I doubly echo the sentiment don't skimp, did this on a Fiat once, for the low price of the part (and it was meant to be OEM quality and from a seemingly good website) it wasn't worth the considerable effort it caused me

(less than £10 difference between that and the fiat item, inevitably!)

 

Always go for genuine quality not aftermarket on this

When I did my old Octavia TPS were actually cheaper than ECP for the kit and water pump.

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Until VAG had the genius idea to invent the self-destructing plastic water pump impeller, nobody ever had a problem with water pump impellers.

 

The shaft/bearing/seal assembly is the same as any other pump, so I fit pattern pumps with metal impellers. Why VAG chose to put the pump on the tight side of the timing belt is completely beyond me. It is this which causes most of the bearing failures. A new pump is essential at every cambelt change - but I run mine to the schedule in the service book, not VAG's ripoff UK schedule, exclusive to the UK.

 

rotodiesel.

I did my cambelt (second one this time at 120k) recently. Skoda dealer did the first and at the time didn't recommend the water pump being replaced. This time round thought it would be best to change just in case. Just used the one the dealer supplied me. If the first was good for 120k not reason why the second wouldn't be.

Not much help for the OP (And not meaning to hijack the thread) I'm getting a bit worried about mine now. When I bought the car (6 years old - 70K) It had never had a cambelt change. The garage I bought it from changed the cambelt, but not the waterpump, so it still has the original.

 

A quote for changing the waterpump was pretty much the same as changing the cambelt, so I haven't had it done yet. Seems fine at the moment though. There's no coolant loss etc in 10k miles since the belt was done. I guess it I get the cambelt and pump done before the next scheduled change, (so maybe 110-120K or leave it another year to 18 months) I can see how I go. My garage says not to worry if there's no coolant loss (which I check once a month, almost out of paranoia!

 

If it were you, would you get the whole lot done sooner? My next service is due in 4000 miles, which I should reach by around February, unless my work pattern changes considerably.

Not much help for the OP (And not meaning to hijack the thread) I'm getting a bit worried about mine now. When I bought the car (6 years old - 70K) It had never had a cambelt change. The garage I bought it from changed the cambelt, but not the waterpump, so it still has the original.

A quote for changing the waterpump was pretty much the same as changing the cambelt, so I haven't had it done yet. Seems fine at the moment though. There's no coolant loss etc in 10k miles since the belt was done. I guess it I get the cambelt and pump done before the next scheduled change, (so maybe 110-120K or leave it another year to 18 months) I can see how I go. My garage says not to worry if there's no coolant loss (which I check once a month, almost out of paranoia!

If it were you, would you get the whole lot done sooner? My next service is due in 4000 miles, which I should reach by around February, unless my work pattern changes considerably.

As it has never been replaced, you will be fine. There has never been a high number of water pump failures since they moved away from Durethan ('chocolate box plastic') impellers.

Ok thanks. That's reassuring to know.