Have no idea when the timing belt was last (if ever!) changed on my girlfriend's recently purchased 1.0 'P' reg Polo.

When getting it MOT'd asked about prices and they said it was worth doing the water pump at the same time. (because "the pumps go" and it's easy to do when the car's got the timing gear off).

I understand the logic of doing it at the same time as the timing belt has to come off to do the pump.

Don't even have a Haynes for the car yet (she's on ebay as we speak) but I've done the same jobs on my Golf and were pretty simple IIRC.


My point is, how likely is the pump to "go" any time soon on an 88k mile car? Compared to my Golf I consider 88k barely worn in!

I've done it once on my Golf at 240k (and it was proper worn out) so doing it now on the Polo seems a waste. But then again, I'm constantly surprised by how quickly small, cheap cars fall apart compared to mid-sized ones.

To change the pump or not?

Normally perhaps I would just say 'sod it' and do the pump. But I'm unemployed and she's broke!


Cheers,
James

[Edited on 14/1/10 by James]

Hmmm, they're cheaper than I thought!

£27 on the GSF website and I might get it cheaper than that.
At that price we're back to "sod it, do it anyway" I think.

Although whether a new, Turkish made GSF pump is better than an 88k VAG one I don't know! lol!


When doing the timing belt, I guess it needs the tensioner done too. Anything else needed?


Cheers,
James

YES do the water pump

The old mans mk4 golf water pump let go on the only time it didnt get changed with the cambelt at 280K+ miles on the clock

James.
I've got a water pump in the garage off one of them. Done about 200 miles then the car
failed MOT and was scrapped so I removed it. It was a J reg (IIRC) and if it's the same
you're welcome to it for the postage cost.



Nige

[Edited on 14/1/10 by NigeEss]

A pump for My VW van was £30ish from the motor factor & less for an exchange one from VW!
An Ex of mine had a 1.1 Polo, K reg I think. we got it cheap as it had a noise in the engine & it was the pump, not a bad job to do & made for a cheap car!

Sounds about right.
- Water pump £30
- Total job £200.


Makes sense to me on the 306, or infact really any car with a waterpump driven off the cambelt. At best if the pump starts leaking having not changed its its nearly £200 lost to swaping it, at worse the pump fails catastrophically and takes the engine and belt with it, writing the car off.



Daniel

[Edited on 15/1/2010 by dhutch]

I believe Renault Meganes MK2 needs a Waterpump at 85K miles?

Which is just after changing the timing belt which means you have to prety much pay twice a cambelt change labour just after 15K miles.

It also depends if the cambelt also drives the waterpump.
My laguna is exactly on the limit where Renault decided to change the design and mine is driven from the auxiliary belt. So, I don't need to change it on every cambelt change. At the moment I am on 103K and still going strong.

Change it either way. For 30 quid, not worth the hassle when you have to dismantle so many parts again to do it later.



[Edited on 15/1/10 by l0rd]

The waterpump tensions the cambelt on them doesn't it ? If you have to move the pump it could leak anyway so easier to seal a new one than a gummed up old one.

I changed a head gasket on a 1.4 polo recently and decided to forgo changing the pump.

My thinking was that it was working fine and didn't leak so I didn't want to disturb that!

Why do they put the water pumps on as part of the cambelt? only reason i can think of is to shorten the engine so it will fit in the car i guess?

On the 1.4 engine the pump didn't act as a tensioner otherwise i would of changed it.

[Edited on 15/1/10 by trogdor]