Water Pumps.... Options

[TomsSVX]

You have a couple options when buying a water pump to replace your old one in your SVX. Some do and do nots

DO:
-Try your best to get a new OEM pump.
- If you must get an aftermarket pump, get a rebuilt OEM pump
- Buy the OEM metal gasket
- Replace the bypass hoses with OEM pre-formed lines
- Replace the thermostat and gasket with preferably OEM components. Aftermarket parts are acceptable but more prone to opening issues.
- Pressure test the cooling system before finishing the job to make sure all is well first.
Do Not:
- Use the water pumps offered on Ebay with the timing kits. They are new pumps but the castings in the thermostat housings, more often than not, need to be ground out for the thermostat to clear. I have also had one leak at a bypass hose fitting, which I then had to install an OEM pump in a jam.
- Try to re-use the thermostat gaskets, they are usually swollen and will likely leak upon re-installation
- Install a pump with a paper gasket... it will likely leak in the near future.

I have had bad experiences with the Prestone pumps offered on Ebay and would not like to see anyone else run into the same problems

Tom

[Tim]

It took me 3 tries to get a fully functioning autozone thermostat. I'm never doing that again. .

I never thought I'd drain and refill that many times in a week.

My other advice would be to heat the thermostat in hot water until it gets to the opening temperature, to make sure it actually functions.

[SVXMAN2001]

Tom, great info! I am actually getting ready to do the timing belt/water pump and i was going to get the complete kit on ebay, thanks for the heads up.

Also, unrelated, but would you be able to modify my stock strut housings? I am going to be doing the GC/Koni setup.

Thanks, Chris

[TomsSVX]

Originally Posted by SVXMAN2001

Tom, great info! I am actually getting ready to do the timing belt/water pump and i was going to get the complete kit on ebay, thanks for the heads up.

Also, unrelated, but would you be able to modify my stock strut housings? I am going to be doing the GC/Koni setup.

Thanks, Chris

Sure, send me a PM, Email, or call me and will talk about it

Tom

[Crazy_pilot]

OEM all the way! The SVX is one of those cars that is rare enough that the aftermarket replacements for OEM parts don't go through the trial and error to weed out bad designs (vs. say....GM, where AC Delco has had an eternity and never ending supply of broken vehicles to experiment on and get their part design right)

[Hondasucks]

We had a guy come in to my work who had an aftermarket pump installed at a third party shop, the impeller came off the shaft, and the shaft went through the front timing cover, and since it was a 2.5 twin cam, it had like 8 bent valves. Bill was going to be like, almost 2 grand. (All to save ~$200 having the job done at some third party shop)... Guy got the water pump company to pay for the job, but instead of fixing it, he sold the car and used the money to buy another one, or something like that...

[subbieatnz]

i just did my water pump. used geniune subaru parts.