Water Pumps?

I was at NAPA and they list a Hi Po water pump. Its listed for a 2000 4.0, I have a 92 4.0 and wondered if anyone has tried one of these on an older 4.0. Its a factory pump and list for $75, (new, not rebuilt) it will be in, in the morning so I can compare the difference between the two.
I've seen some bad reports on the Hesco hi flow, so was thinking factory part might be the way to go.
Any thoughts on this plan?

MG_43 said:

I've seen some bad reports on the Hesco hi flow

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What kind of reports and from who?

I paid under $45 bucks from NAPA for my water pump,(1991), brand new also. Sounds like your NAPA is overpriced or its your location. They should be all the same, just check the pulley, and make sure it will work, which it should.

I read somewhere, i beleive on this forum, that the year 2000's had an improved impeller design with more fins and they were a different material. I have not verified this but check it out when you look at it. Keep us posted, i have 2000 and want to stick in a new water pump and want to make sure i don't get an inferior replacement.

jsedillo- says his Hesco died in 2 1/2 years.
Dr.Dyno-says in 99, DC fitted a slitter vane water pump on 99 and later 4.0s for a 50% gain over the old style water pumps.

I dunno - I usually get GMB or TRW from the local (new,) and haven't had any trouble since.

I find it somewhat comforting that most of the parts I've been replacing lately are factory original - but the damn things are getting harder and harder to get to (damn ball joints...) I just pick quality replacements - prefereably from brands where I have experience - and bolt 'em in! I may change a few things while doing so (I like to use brass or bronze hardware for exhaust, and brass or CRES for cooling system stuff,) but there are usually valid reasons for my doing so.

5-90

What ever you do, stay away from Pep Boy's I put 2 of their's w/ lifetime warrenty in in 3 months :smsoap: . Got my $ back & got a Napa one. Haven't had trouble since 98.

Rob $.02

FELIX said:

What ever you do, stay away from Pep Boy's I put 2 of their's w/ lifetime warrenty in in 3 months :smsoap: . Got my $ back & got a Napa one. Haven't had trouble since 98.

Rob $.02

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As I have said so often, if they offer a Lifetime Warranty, you'll probably need it!

As a matter of principle, I no longer go to AZ, Pep Boys, Kragen's, or whoever for parts. I wasted three years and change behind the counter at Kragen's, and their parts have NOT improved.

Find a small shop, and spend money there. The nice thing about that is that you are likely to get better parts, you are almost assuredly going to deal with someone who can use his head for something other than shoulder ballast, and your prices are likely to get incrementally better with time (I now pay "jobber" - around here, it's "cost + 5%." HUGE help!)

If you want some advice on useful brands, I can also help there - but most parts you can get from the "big chains" aren't fit for use as scrap metal anymore. NAPA is starting to slide as well - stick to the small outfits.

5-90

5-90 said:

Find a small shop, and spend money there. The nice thing about that is that you are likely to get better parts, you are almost assuredly going to deal with someone who can use his head for something other than shoulder ballast.)
5-90

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I would have to agree. Going to AZ or the likes sucks if it's a custom app. If it's not in the computer under vehicle type your SOL. Problem though I have found is that the 2 really good shops we use to have, went under :tear:

look at flow Kooler pump. Lifetime warrenty and awesome performance. www.flowkooler.com

FELIX said:

I would have to agree. Going to AZ or the likes sucks if it's a custom app. If it's not in the computer under vehicle type your SOL. Problem though I have found is that the 2 really good shops we use to have, went under :tear:

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I hear you. I've got this HUGE Excel spreadsheet that I'll probably code to HTML over the summer - nothing but parts numbers! I still need to enter some more catalogues, but it's a damn good start, and should be a useful reference. I'm also using that information to start building a "cross-over" guide for those who need it...

5-90

Well I went and looked at the difference between the so called Hi Po factory water pump and a standard, same amount of vanes, just a piece of sheet metal tack welded to the vanes (I guess to direct the water more toward where it is suppose to go) for $75 instead of $34.
My standard pump has went 200K so think I'm going with the standard one again and use an aluminum radiator.
Thanks for the info.
The reason I am changing it to start with is I'm a firm believer in PM, I hate breaking down anywhere, rather not have to worry about it.

I run a standard water pump, standard copper radiator, and the only "custom" work I've done is copper heater lines (because right-angle moulded heater host costs too damn much.) Apart from the fact that I'm about due for a fan clutch, I'm not having any trouble.

DO use Redline Water Wetter - I just can't say enough about the stuff! I found out about it when I was an "industrial mechanic" (man lifts, forklifts, skyjacks, heavy trucks, airport ground equipment, ...) and I was trying to find a way to keep a customer's "grey market" Toyota forklift from overheating. It's not that I didn't need the money, but when it was down, it usually took me a month to find parts, they literally had to come from Japan, and I got tired of explaining "It's grey market - that's what you get for buying cheap."

I couldn't find a DAMN thing wrong with it - and I even ended up overhauling the engine and cooling system (about the sixth time I had it in the shop - the customer wanted to "shotgun" the thing that time.) New hoses, new radiator, had the block and the hardlines cleaned - it was the closest thing I could come up with to new.

About three weeks later, I ended up going out there again - overheat complaint. I went and talked to my parts guys, and ran down the problem for him. He handed me a bottle of WW.

I poured it in the next day, and didn't hear a peep out of them until they blew a hydraulic line about eight months later (but the damn engine wasn't overheating!) I'll take it.

5-90

FELIX said:

I would have to agree. Going to AZ or the likes sucks if it's a custom app. If it's not in the computer under vehicle type your SOL. Problem though I have found is that the 2 really good shops we use to have, went under :tear:

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All the good independant shops are getting ran out of business it seems like - I worked for O'Reilly for about 5 years, and was fortunate to have a manager that INSISTED we learn the paper catalogues - the computer systems were spotty at best, not to mention we were always changing brands that we carried to the lowest bidder in order to compete. There are still some good brands there, but not as many as there used to be.

Pretty soon, it's gonna be the big 3 in auto parts - AZ, Napa & Oreilly .... and woe to the folks that need parts for an odd application that isn't in the computer.

MightyXJ said:

All the good independant shops are getting ran out of business it seems like - I worked for O'Reilly for about 5 years, and was fortunate to have a manager that INSISTED we learn the paper catalogues - the computer systems were spotty at best, not to mention we were always changing brands that we carried to the lowest bidder in order to compete. There are still some good brands there, but not as many as there used to be.

Pretty soon, it's gonna be the big 3 in auto parts - AZ, Napa & Oreilly .... and woe to the folks that need parts for an odd application that isn't in the computer.

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I hear you. While I was working for NA/CSK (Northern Automotive/Checker-Schuck's-Kragen) they decided to "transition" from the paper catalogues (and I was the only one in the shop that actually KNEW how to use the damn things!) to EPC (Electronic Parts Catalogue) running "dumb terminals" out on the counter.

Why?

Half of the time, the damn thing was just plain wrong. The other half of the time, either the computer was crashed (a frequent occurrence) or we'd lost power (which happened more often than you'd think.) The first time it happened was about two days after the DM asked me why I hadn't tossed the paper books yet, and then ORDERED me to (which order I had no intention of obeying - he obviously hadn't used EPC himself.)

The next time he came in, EPC was down, and I had people handing me notes at the catalogue rack. Me? I looked like an octopus with poison ivy - taking in notes, scribbling part numbers on them, and handing them back. At least I got everyone to use a "standard format" when writing down notes - made is much easier all around.

I know I said I've got a lot of this stuff in Excel, but I don't toss the paper until I've checked, double-checked, triple-checked, and locked Mr. Murphy and his whol famn damily in a closet. If there's a mistake in my sheets, it was in the paper catalogue (part of locking Murphy in a closet is having my wife spot-check me - pick an application, and compare the digital entry to the hard copy. I admit it - I'm cranky.)

As far as "a few good brands," I think the problem is twofold -
1) China has gotten involved in heavy manufacturing - despite not having the know-how or the manufacturing infrastructure.
2) Americans are stressing price over quality - to their detriment. I, for one, don't mind paying a little more up front for something I KNOW will work, as opposed to saving a few bucks on a "throw-away" tool. Call me cranky.

My wife asked the difference between the OTC ball joint press I had to order, vice the HF she originally approved (she controls the money - otherwise I'd live in my rigs and hunt food...) I've just about finished the job now - the HF bent before I got one out, and the OTC has removed three and installed two so far. I have to take a break because I don't have power (and therefore fans) out in the garage due to some electrical screwup... If I find they guy that did such shonky work, I'm going to take my largest pair of pliers, and crush his balls. I have no patience with incompetent tradesman - professional or amateur...

5-90

X2 Redline Water wetter.