Water pump time! OEM plastic vs AM metal impeller

[aj4.6]

Can anyone chime in on this.
I hate to save a few bucks on a pump only to have it reinstalled later.
What did you use and have you had any issues with reliability.
I understand the OEM using a plastic impeller is a downside.

[ellisx5]

Personally I would go with the metal over plastic. I used to own an older 325i that had a waterpump failure due to the plastic impellar breaking to pieces. Took quite awhile to flush out all of the plastic bits.

[JCL]

I would only use OE.

Lots of discussion on composite impellors, and how they are mistaken for plastic by some. Apparently the plastic impellors went away in 1998.

See these two threads, with info from a dealer technician (killcrap):

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...metal-one.html

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...65-hi-all.html

[Weasel]

99% of the time when a waterpump fails it is bearing failure rather than impeller failure. One thing I can say is that I've seen a few with metal impellers that when their bearings failed the impeller ground into the engine behind it and threw aluminum shavings through the whole system. I'd rather plastic than metal in that case!

[aj4.6]

thanks gents. I am going OEM on this one.

[ECS Tuning]

Yea, I would go OEM with Metal also.

Just piece of mind.


We have them right HERE in OEM and others


** Don't forget that some don't come with the gaskets and thermostat***



Thanks


Joe