Water Pump: Original vs. Aftermarket

"When I had a parking heater installed at the local Bosch service center last year, I also inquired about a timing belt replacement. The technician told me that he wouldn't buy the water pump from a generic parts supplier, but directly from Audi, because he said that aftermarket water pumps often aren't reliable."
Now I'm a little unsure. Is this good man just being too cautious, or is he right?
Are there any brands I should buy? The store I go to carries all the major brands.

Since I have two TDIs that need this done, I'll probably just do the timing belt myself again. Right now, I'm just not in a financial position to pay someone else to do it.

Engines: AFN + BPW

Hi,
With the AFN engine, I would only replace the water pump if it fails. It's not driven by the timing belt. Mine has already exceeded 400,000 km. The 1Z engine is very similar in design.
Otherwise:
/viewtopic.php?t=25991
hg
Herbert.

There are many manufacturers, some of them good. However, finding them can be a challenge.

The so-called replacement pumps from VW (the ones with the "X" at the end of the part number) are actually the safest option. And the price difference isn't that significant either.

Thank you for the link. However, it's not very clear either.

Yes, the 1Z and AFN engines are quite similar. I had the 1Z before the AFN. It's also possible that the fuel pump was replaced at some point, but I'd need to check. But you're right, it's probably not that important because it's driven by a belt.

Okay, I guess I'll look for an SKF pump. SKF doesn't really make bad products. Plus, I get a workshop discount at the parts store, but not at VW.

Quote:

With the AFN engine, I would only replace the water pump if it fails. It is not driven by the timing belt. Mine has now exceeded 400,000 km.

.

I see now that it's still the external water pump. Sorry. Almost everything works there, but it's not as critical as with a water pump driven by the timing chain.

I have also had very good experiences with Ruville. While they are mostly a packaging company, this company definitely does not package any junk.

However, comparing the price with the original equipment (OE) spare part might be beneficial.

Even at SKF, there is also garbage; I had one installed in my V6 TDI, and it was completely junk after only 23,000 km.
Luckily, it was noticed just in time.

I've also wondered about that. There were significant problems with the AEL, especially the one used in Volvos. Volvo took a different approach and sourced a better pump. Audi, on the other hand, changed the number of teeth on the pump, from 18 to 20, in order to reduce the speed.
Anyway, the original parts from Volvo cost around €130, while a Hepu pump costs about €30 – both have 18 teeth. Volvo specifies that the pump must have double bearings. I then disassembled a HEPU pump, and it looked quite well-made. It had double bearings, and everything seemed to be okay.

If anyone is interested, I've taken some photos here --> [Please add them to the thread and avoid creating dead links].

Unfortunately, I don't have an original to compare it to yet, but I did receive some photos from a contact.

However, there's probably a lot of low-quality stuff out there, so you have to be careful. At 30€, I also had some reservations.

Regards,

PS: I'm driving the HEPU!!