Water pump

Post Sat Jun 21, 2014 10:40 am

The water pump has failed on my M20 I've heard that it's better to fit a pump with a metal impeller. Who makes this type and where can I get it?

Post Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:14 am

Go onto ECP website enter your reg details and look in the 'cooling and heating' subsection. Circoli do a few which I believe the be good (I have one in with no problems for the last 15 months). As for the metal impeller it usually specifies. Might be an idea to go in and collect so you can check, saves hassle of returning it. However I would assume/guess/hope if you pat for a premium pump you get a metal impeller.

Either way make sure you specify your reg thus giving the age of you car, as there are two types of pump for M20 engines..

http://e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.ph ... ater_Pumps

If you're digging down the that deep into the front of your engine, might be worth a timing belt kit change (belt, tensioner and spring).

Post Thu Jul 17, 2014 1:00 pm

G-Bear wrote:Go onto ECP website enter your reg details and look in the 'cooling and heating' subsection. Circoli do a few which I believe the be good (I have one in with no problems for the last 15 months). As for the metal impeller it usually specifies. Might be an idea to go in and collect so you can check, saves hassle of returning it. However I would assume/guess/hope if you pat for a premium pump you get a metal impeller.

Either way make sure you specify your reg thus giving the age of you car, as there are two types of pump for M20 engines..

http://e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.ph ... ater_Pumps

If you're digging down the that deep into the front of your engine, might be worth a timing belt kit change (belt, tensioner and spring).

+1

unless you know the belt (and tensioner) was changed within the last couple of years get them changed snapped belt= destoyed engine.

might be a good idea to check your hoses whilst your at it for stress cracks..

Post Thu Jul 17, 2014 6:53 pm

aimlessrock wrote: Either way make sure you specify your reg thus giving the age of you car,

Dangerous thing to do with ECP/CP4L/GSF if you have a late E30 that overlaps E36 production. Chances are you will end up with E36 parts.
Always use a no younger than a '89 reg. or build date to get the right parts.

Post Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:39 pm

Well I did the water pump. Can't remember what brand they sent me but I ordered the more expensive of the two and it was the metal impeller pump, so all is good. I ordered a new Conti timing belt and tensioner, and new Conti drive belts (they sent me an E36 PAS belt though!) and I had to order a new tensioner spring and peg from the dealer as these were missing from my engine. Also, whilst trying to align the timing marks before belt removal I discovered that the pulley/damper had been put on in the wrong position. It was clocked by one bolt hole. The cam timing was correct but the reluctor (sp?) ring for the crank sensor was miles out. I've corrected this upon re-installation and she now runs like a dream. Filled in a flat spot I had between 2500-4000rpm, better economy and smoother running. WIN! I'm getting there with it now.

Post Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:18 pm

I had similar when I did mine last year.. no spring or pin, the belt was missing a few chunks out of it too. I guess the spring has a tendency of jumping out and usually lost forever in a messy mechanics garage. All the better for doing the job yourself.

I also received wrong auxiliary belts from ECP.

Pleased you got it all sorted and that she runs better as a result..

Post Mon Jul 21, 2014 11:38 pm

Spring and pin doesn't jump out. It will have been left out deliberately when someone changed the water pump.
The spring and pin engage in a notch in the pump and make it very difficult to fit the pump bolts without dislodging the gasket with the spring pushing everything out of line. Since the spring is locked off once a new belt is tensioned it doesn't matter if it's there or not.