A week ago I helped a friend install a new water pump on his Felicia 1.3. The old pump had good seal but a noisy bearing. Today my friend has paid me a visit and he was very disappointed because the new pump started to develop the bearing noise...

 

The pump he bought is made in Germany, not a cheap VIKA pump made in China. This is not the first time I see the same bearing noise problem on several cars using different water pump brands. So it's not a bad stock from the same manufacturer. The pumps used are from reputable manufacturers from France, Germany, Spain or Italy.

 

My opinion is that the bearings have intentionally no grease at all or very little grease from factory. Usually it is the seal that fails first, not the bearing. To me that is a suspect common pattern of failure...

 

I would like to know your opinion and solution.

I've removed for closer inspection the new pump that started to make a hollow rumbling noise.

There is an incipient wobbling play of the axle of the pump. There are unconfirmed rumors that the bearings used by all Western manufacturers are in fact made in China because Czech bearings cost 5-6 Euros...

 

For those interested to see inner details of the pump, I've attached a few photos.

 

 

 

Clarification: the first photo I've used is from my Czech friend Lugosy. I didn't dismantle the one from my friend's car. I am tempted though but given the possibility of breaking the housing and/or the impeller I need some tips.

 

I could order a new pump for my friend but the prospect of putting him to pay $40 again only to watch it fail again is not too encouraging.

Well, I've rarely to never known the bearing fail in less that 80_000km if the drive belt is correctly tensioned.

 

What I have known (frequently) is the plastic impeller crack, strip the splines (impeller side, not shaft side) or break up. Could you get Lugosy to clarify whether the impeller had already failed or was cut for the purposes for disassembly?

The impeller is metallic. Both the housing and the impeller broke because he didn't have the proper extractors for the bonded rubber bush and the impeller. Which prompts me asking if anyone has first-hand tips in dismantling and repairing the water pump for Favorit/Felicia.