1987 944 waterpump tutorial

Lexluther · 06-19-2007, 07:04 PM

Hey, I mentioned buying a 944 needing a waterpump, what exactly am I looking for?.. I was told I am needing an ungraded one, and cars up to 86 wont work, help!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

earlr85944 · 06-19-2007, 07:18 PM

did you buy the car yet or looking to buy. Needing a waterpump may also mean needing a headgasket.......

zedsn · 06-19-2007, 07:23 PM

Hi, a water pump job is pretty pricey even if you do the work yourself and you will want to reseal the front of your motor while you are at it and get a new balance shaft and timing belt as well as new belt pullies as well. You are refering to the improved water pump with the ramp provision and you will need to buy the ramp and idler pulley as well. This is a pretty hard job in my opinion and when you put the timing belt on you will have to tension it with a 600.00 tool but someone on this forum lends his out to ones in need.

Lexluther · 06-19-2007, 07:37 PM

I have bought it yes, the first thing I did is run a compression check, 180 psi accross the board. So what waterpump should I look for?.. is there a specific one?.. or specific part number. Thanks

earlr85944 · 06-19-2007, 08:05 PM

good to hear on the compression:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/944M/POR_944M_WATpmp_pg1.htm#item0

link to pump. rebuilt w\ guide is $125 for 1987

he's right about the above, I would install a new timing belt and tensioner if you dont know when it was last done.

Lexluther · 06-19-2007, 08:22 PM

I had planned to replace both belts, I will inspect the rollers and tensioner and probably replace them. The car didnt come with any records so I dont know when these parts have been changed last. Theres no oil leaks though.

TibetanT · TibetanT's Garage

If I am not mistaken, it is called the Turbo style water pump. You must purchase the block off plate kit since it is not a turbo car.

All of the above, as mentioned, is very important and should be done while you are in there. Also, be very careful removing the nuts rom the water pump since the bottom one some times freezes up, and can be a bear to remove if broken.
Someone posted a while back about having to do just that.

Take your time and pay attention to the tensioning of the belts.

Good luck!

jwade944 · 06-21-2007, 05:27 AM

Porsche changed the waterpump design and issued a TSB with the parts required. I don't think you can even buy the early style pump any more. The roller on the pump body changed size and they added a belt guard. If your pump has these, then it is the later style and you can transfer them to the new pump when you replace it. If not, then you will need to buy the roller, guard and nuts when you buy the replacement pump.

Lexluther · 06-23-2007, 03:24 PM

I just got my car apart, the waterpump was locked up, and there was little pieces of aluminum inside where the impeller is. The part number for the old pump is 944.106.124.1R ... Theres a "87" stamped in it also, you dont think this is the factory pump do you??

nynor · 06-23-2007, 03:30 PM

where did the aluminum bits come from?

Lexluther · 06-23-2007, 03:57 PM

I would say the water pump, in the cooling system thats about all it could be, the bearing failed, the the impeller got out of wack and started cutting into the waterpump itself. I have seen it on other cars.

nynor · 06-23-2007, 04:10 PM

ah, so its not debris from elsewhere. that's good.

Lexluther · 06-23-2007, 04:14 PM

I am sure its damage from the pump, the engine checked out before I started tearing it down.. SO do you think its the factory pump? is this an updated one..? where do I go from here?.. I have priced pumps locally and they tell me theres two different ones.

Lexluther · 06-27-2007, 02:12 PM

Hey my water pumps part number is 944.106.124.1R... will a 944.106.124.3R work? It looks almost identical.

earlr85944 · 06-28-2007, 03:34 AM

Call pelican parts, they can help you. They have sold hundreds of these and have people on hand who are very familliar with whats required. And yes they old style is still available as my friend knows who recently received a NOS one knows. Be sure to explain that you want the new updated pump and tell them if you have the old style now, if you dont have a belt guide you have the old style.

Lexluther · 06-28-2007, 07:33 AM

My pump has the belt guide. but has an "87" date stamp, It almost looks factory, but I dont know how that can be.

Lexluther · 07-01-2007, 09:14 PM

OK , an update! I bought a new lifetime warranty water pump and did the belt change today, got it running, it was not a bad job, when timed I rotated the engine twice re checked the timing marks, then rotated the engine with the started, still good. I started it and it still seems fine, this is where i left off. I do have an oil leak! not from the balance shaft area, but on the right side of the engine somewhere, while running the car today, there was smoke coming up from around the header pipe. also my oil pressure is gone! (according to the guage) before I changed the waterpump it was almost pegged out on the guage, any ideas? The engine sounds fine.

nynor · 07-02-2007, 02:53 PM

i bet when you did the waterpump that the connector/s came off of the oil pressure sender.

i am better your oil leak is from the back side of the cam tower, right there by the firewall, or it is the cam tower gasket. or, you maybe just smeared some oil on the headers while you were working on it.

Lexluther · 07-02-2007, 08:12 PM

I checked the sending unit, both wires are still attached. I drove it to the gas station today, 2 miles round trip, it ran ok. could it be a sending unit gone bad?... could the guage be bad?.. It worked fine before I tore it down to replace the water pump and did the belts.

nynor · 07-03-2007, 03:09 PM

yeah, it could be the sender. i think there is a way to test it with a voltmeter.