Got a quick question for you guys. I don't have any real documentation for my car prior to purchasing in in 2009 with 43k (now at 101k) I'm assuming it still has the original water pump with the plastic impeller. I'm going to be doing the valley hoses soon, already did the aluminum thermostat housing, I'm wondering if it would be wise to do the water pump while I'm at it. Any way to visually determine if it has been updated? What do you guys think? Worth doing now? Car is a 2000 XK8.

 

K Westra, we are on parallel paths. I started "into the valley" last week. The attached pic is from my waterpump which was original on my 03 xkr. Take the wp pulley off and I would think if you have similar casting marks on the front, it would be an original. Regardless, for approximately 40 bucks, I would replace it anyway. Good luck.

 

Got mine from Amazon OAW F6030 Engine Water Pump with paper gasket @ $28 with free domestic USA shipping last month and am very pleased with it. Installation is a piece of cake if you know how to remove/reinstall the serpentine belt. Take the plunge and remove the plastic impeller time bomb...

 

The early AJ26 models had pumps with black plastic impellers, and they were prone to failure. Later pumps had a white plastic impeller which would hold up unless the engine was badly overheated.

I just replaced my white impeller model, probably a replacement itself, with a metal type pump from Coventry West.

 

When I replaced my water pump in my 98 Coupe, (profilacaticly as it turned out, the pumps black impeller fins were in perfect condition) I used my pressure washer to clean out the radiator, and condenser fins. I was astonished at how much crud had accumulated in there. It took several soaking's with simple green, and more pressure washing until they were clean. Now my cooling fans, which used to run for several minutes, when I shut it down hot, hardly run, or don't run, at all.
There is no doubt that dirty and blocked radiator fins contribute significantly to over heating.
Regards,

 

There were two different BLACK impellers fitted to the water pumps.
The ORIGINAL faulty impellers were made of NYLON 66.
The subsequent BLACK impellers were made from Black Poly Phenyl Sulphide.

Quote from Jaguar TSB 303-60am "Note: Do not automatically assume that a black impeller is made of Nylon 66."

The impellers were then changed again using White Poly Phenyl Sulphide.

As easy as the water pumps are to replace, I don't have a problem with the later white impellers. I have not had one fail like the Black Nylon 66 did on the early cars.

The TSB describes how to identify each of the different water pumps fitted to the early cars.

bob

 

+1

Can't rely on colour as there's too many aftermarket variations.

Also worth mentioning is to avoid the metal impellers. These were a short lived 'fix' for the early water pumps but were little better and soon disappeared.

Graham

 

There are a lot of metal impellers on the market now. I recall reading that they don't work well with high silicate antifreeze due to cavitation.

 

I would recommend plastic impellers as well, but if you have some overwhelming compulsion to place a metal impeller pump on the vehicle, OAT is not the choice for you when it comes to coolant. Ford, for example, is advising customers who do this type of change, to use HOAT (G-05) coolant with metal impellers. The last Airtex I purchased, manufactured in the 22nd week of 2014, utilized a black PPS plastic impeller, and was produced in Spain.