C900 1987 - Waterpump

You can see my dilema, the car is 19 years old with 178k miles on the clock, and I'd be surprised if she lasted another three years.

It is difficult to make a case for buying the £80+ part for such short term use. If the car lasts longer than you expect buy another @ £25!

in article snipped-for-privacy@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com, Al at snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote on 16/05/2006 15:46:

The one on my old '85 900i exploded and left me in a cloud of smoke at a junction and a sticky mess under the bonnet.

Aeromotive fixed it - give 'em a ring. I was happy with whatever they fixed it with. Alas, I gave all the history to them with the car, so I can't look back at whether it was second hand or new. Either way, I'd buy the 25 quid one.

Paul

I'm going to do this myself, it's not exactly rocket science after all! Aeromotive have had a few quid off me recently and as much as I'd like them to do it, I'm not exactly flush at the moment.

I'm certainly leaning towards the cheaper version.

Al

Why do you think that? Properly mainained these things will last more than 20 years and 300k miles. My 86 900T is at about 170k (Odometer is busted, so I have to estimate.) The only thing I have had to recently do was replace the regular stuff that breaks down because of regular use- breaks & muffler. The turbo did go at 150k miles, but after 19 years 20k RPM, that is damn good. I have had absolutely no issues with the engine on the thing.

jeremy

Personally, I'd go for one from a breakers but IME pattern parts have always been fine.

Although I can't comment on a waterpump for a Saab the pattern ones I've had for other cars, a Triumph Herald and a Morris Minor (which dates it), have all been fine.

For a water pump, I'd rather go aftermarket than used. But I'd rather go OEM than aftermarket.

That would be the Saab "B" engine based on the Triumph, with the waterpump driven off a gear on the layshaft. Last used in '79 or '80. I think the OP has an "H" engine so it's an entirely different thing, altogether.

I always go for what I can afford...

Which tends to be OEM from a scrap yard.

It will be H on an '87 900 but I was just relating the last time I bought a waterpump; which coincidentally it was probably around 1987 when I had my last Herald and '89 for the last pump I bought for a Morris.