Well everyone, I bought a Genuine Mercedes Benz water pump today from the local dealer (sorry Fast Lane – as quick as you are, I wanted it NOW, plus you don’t have the OE pumps.)

Call me anal, but I had to determine the differences between the two pumps. The impeller diameter is the same. The design of the impeller is *almost* the same, except for a more squared off 45 degree edge to the ends of the blades on the Meyle. The blades themselves are MUCH thicker compared to the OE pump. Then again, the rebuilt OE pump may have a lot of material missing from the impeller compared to when it was first cast. Another seemingly critical (and probably MAIN) difference is that the end of the impeller (not the shaft itself) is about 2-3 mm shorter on the Meyle pump. This will equate to an increased gap between the pump impeller & the rear of the pump housing which will decrease its efficiency. 1/10th of an inch may not sound like much, but we’ll soon see. Stay tuned…. I’m going to go button it up now.

IF this doesn’t work, I’m going to throw in the towel on this. I hate to admit defeat, but if this car wants to do an impersonation of Chernobyl, so be it. I just hope it doesn’t melt down when I’m on an extended trip.

Thanks again everyone!
RTH