So when it fails what happens?

1) Shaft stops and jams the belt?

2) Impellor comes free of the shaft and stops pumping?

So when it fails what happens?

1) Shaft stops and jams the belt?

2) Impellor comes free of the shaft and stops pumping?

3) Chunks of the impellor come off and block the coolant lines

3) Chunks of the impellor come off and block the coolant lines

so does the engine just overheat?

1) potentially belt snaps = v bad

2) overheating

3) overheating

Problem with the overheating would be that it would be a rather sharpish one, and if you didnt pretty much get off the road asap it probably wouldn't do your engine much good.

I'd imagine if bits flew into the coolant lines it would need to get flushed out somehow, no clue if you could just drop a hose on it & flush it out or if it could get stuck in say the oil/water heat exchanger?

In any case, it just doesn't make sense NOT to replace it when you do a cambelt IMHO.

Anybody know of a good independant in the hampshire area for doing a cambelt and water pump. I'd go for the metal water pump, and genuine belt + tensioner from the sounds of things on here.

I'm wishing that I'd read Briskoda before I had the cambelt changed :( especially now SWMBO has the Octavia most days!

my metal pump is a first line pump and cost about £30 ish

What do I ask for when I want to buy a new water pump? I want one with a metal impellor.

That's assuming I don't sell it before its next service.

I took my 4x4 1.8T hatch to Jabba for the belt and waterpump change.

Its four years old with 29,000 on the clock. Inspection of the belt showed very little wear and looking inside the standard waterpump showed absolitely no signs of wear whatsoever - it was like new although Parker at Jabba did say mine was the later updated plastic impellor type with the metal shaft :confused: but not the full metal impellor version which I had swapped in as a precaution.

Interesting to hear how they some seem to be breaking up with relatively low mileage and others with more (although not excessive) seem ok.

Lee

GSF do all-metal pumps with brass impeller part no. 17062 (equiv. 06A 121 011TX) £21.50 +vat (this one is for 1.8T 20v)