The garage advised that my 2.0 4x4 280 Superb needed a new water pump but I didn't like the price so I took it all apart to have a look myself, including removing teh inlet manifold so I could see the thing. The pump looks perfect and the surface that meets the block measures totally flat. The problem is the block itself see the picture attached.

 

The question is - How stupid would I be to clean it up and refit the old pump with new seals ?

 

 

Hello Paul, welcome to the forum. Certainly worth a try, do the pump seals and bearings look OK?

Simply fitting a new pump without addressing the seal face would probably not work anyway.

Thank you Warrior193.  The seal looks pretty bad where it's been in contact with the corrosion on the block. I will definitely have to clean up the corrosion and replace the seals as a minimum.

57 minutes ago, Paulcap said:

Thank you Warrior193.  The seal looks pretty bad where it's been in contact with the corrosion on the block. I will definitely have to clean up the corrosion and replace the seals as a minimum.

^^^^ The seal I was referring to was the drive shaft one - or is this for an electric pump?  

Sorry, yes, it's actually the seal between the thermostat housing and the block of a pump which is belt driven of the end of a camshaft.

This is a job I’ve been preparing for myself as it does seem unbelievably common. Looking at the state of the block on yours @Paulcap I think it’s been weeping for quite some time. I haven’t looked at the price of genuine replacement pumps but these are available for a pretty reasonable price online https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275413922020?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=6NlGCo6fS6e&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=M0-LUKmxS1q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

The question would be are these of comparable quality to OEM? But for the price, I’d be inclined to replace yours for piece of mind. Small wire brush attachment for a drill should clean up your block sufficiently 🤞🏻

Hi Windybum, I'm using a honing stone (for sharpening wood chisels). It goes across both ports making sure I don't start rounding off corners and it is slow and gentle so I can keep checking and not go too far. Ebay has some claimed OEM ones for about £50 more but I'm not too sure how 'fresh' the stock is ?  

deleted.

Edited 19 August, 20241 yr by J.R.

I’ll take a look at the OEM ones. 
Drop a pic on when you’ve cleaned them up 👍

I haven't finished yet but it's much better than before -

That looks pretty darn good, sure looks more like a sealing surface now. 
After looking at what’s involved, it’s a fair bit of work to get to where you are now. 
It’ll all be worth it when you still have money in your pocket after you’ve finished. 
Good job 👍 
 

Did you get the job done with a new pump or risk refitting the old one?

So to add a bit of clarity, its never actually the water pump that leaks...

 

The water pump is belt driven by the balance shafts and this pump bolts to the side of the complicated thermostat housing which bolts to the block.

 

The 2 places that tend to leak are the plastic welds within the thermostat housing or the thermostat housing to engine block seal.

 

The first one is simply poor quality parts, the second is caused by incorrect coolant or concentration or by the bolts not being torqued correctly.

 

In this case based on the corrosion, id say its a coolant related issue.

6 minutes ago, ApertureS said:

So to add a bit of clarity, its never actually the water pump that leaks...

 

The water pump is belt driven by the balance shafts and this pump bolts to the side of the complicated thermostat housing which bolts to the block.

 

The 2 places that tend to leak are the plastic welds within the thermostat housing or the thermostat housing to engine block seal.

 

The first one is simply poor quality parts, the second is caused by incorrect coolant or concentration or by the bolts not being torqued correctly.

 

In this case based on the corrosion, id say its a coolant related issue.

@ApertureS do you recommend replacing with the original or is there another brand of pump any better? Thank as always 

1 hour ago, Bobodaclown said:

@ApertureS do you recommend replacing with the original or is there another brand of pump any better? Thank as always 

The factory OE thermostat housing has gone through the following revisions:

06L121111H

06L121111J

06L121111K

06L121111L

06L121111M

06L121111P - CURRENT

 

So i would hope it has been upgraded and repaired since then so it doesnt fail easily....

 

 

The coolant pump has gone through the following

06L121012A

06L121012H

06L121012K

06L121012L - CURRENT

 

 

 

2 hours ago, ApertureS said:

The factory OE thermostat housing has gone through the following revisions:

06L121111H

06L121111J

06L121111K

06L121111L

06L121111M

06L121111P - CURRENT

 

So i would hope it has been upgraded and repaired since then so it doesnt fail easily....

 

 

The coolant pump has gone through the following

06L121012A

06L121012H

06L121012K

06L121012L - CURRENT

 

 

 

@ApertureS thank you. We would hope so 

Hi Windybum,   After cleaning up the block I checked the coolant pump and thermostat housing and could find nothing wrong so I decided not to buy the new assembly. I replaced the housing to block seal and the O rings on the 'cotton reel' (plus the intake manifold seal). I pressure tested with air and it held pressure overnight and it now has done some decent motorway mileage with no problems.

@Paulcap that’s a real bonus. 
It’s a lot of work to get it changed so good news 👍

For advice I followed this Youtube -  It's all about a Golf but was virtauly a perfect match for the Superb.

 

  

That’s the one I watched after reading your first post, I much prefer to do my own work where possible so after seeing various prices bandied about thought I’d look into it. There’s a lot to remove to get to it but all doable with care, certainly a weekend job but touch wood, mine is bone dry and hopefully stays that way for a long time 🤞🏻

Well I dropped myself right in it with my last post! 
Got a slight smell of coolant when I got out of the car this evening, no obvious leak but I opened the bonnet and it was pretty evident. 
I’ll have my eye on the level for a while but pretty sure where this is headed 🤨

It cost me £1k to have it fixed and, of course, there is every possibility it’ll go again. There has been at least 2 successful Class Actions in the States against VW for the EA888 water pump issues, the latest being in 2023 for the MK7 Golf. The payout is circa $1.1k for a replacement or rectification and upto $5k for a replacement unit (short engine I presume). Of course, it only applies to the USA, because no other territories has these issues..🙄