I want to change the water pump on our 6C8.3, noticed a small amount of coolant dripping from the weep hole on this last trip. Not much and only a couple of times, other times when I checked (almost daily) it was dry. Kept fingers crossed until we returned home and only lost about a quart in 6500 miles.
Now its time to replace............... OEM or aftermarket? Big cost difference..... :o
Diesel Parts Direct has both.
OEM------ $215.82
3806180 | Genuine Cummins Water Pump Kit | C Series (https://www.dieselpartsdirect.com/3806180)
Aftermarket -----$85.13
3806180 | Cummins Water Pump Kit | C Series | Diesel Parts Direct (https://www.dieselpartsdirect.com/ds3806180)
Find a Cummins forum that has some insight into the pumps. Call some engine rebuilders also. Lots of pumps on ebay so they must be selling well. cummins 8.3 water pump | eBay (https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xcummins+8.3+water+pump.TRS0.TSS0&_nkw=cummins+8.3+water+pump&_sacat=0) Some as low at $50. Differences?
Pierce
The aftermarket kit is non-returnable. The Cummins part is. Both need an engine serial number to make sure you get the right one. Both have a 12 mo warranty. If you are going to do it yourself and it is not too hard then I would probably use an aftermarket one and get a spare just in case. Still money ahead
We are getting into philosophy as well as mechanics here.
The philosophy is "how important is it to insure that the correct parts made to OE standards is it" vs "I want an inexpensive "replaces ..... part".
From a mechanical standpoint:
1. Cost of pump vs engine overheating
2. Convenience/inconvenience of breaking down on the side of the road. Which I suspect would be more like with a "replaces ...... part" vs one made to OE specs.
BTW, my usual choice would be a "manufacturer reman" (i.e. Cummins in this case) part. Same as air dryers, etc.
My last coach had a Cummins 8.3. I replaced the water pump with a NAPA rebuilt in 2009. Worked great. Sold the coach in Nov 2016.
From my records: NAPA recon Cummins waterpump $137, core $36, tax, 2 5 gal buckets, 1 gallon coolant. Got the $36 core charge back from the $137. Caught the clean and current coolant inn the 5 gallon buckets. Back in coach after. Very little loss. Easy job.
Yep..... I have started using the Cummins QuickServe website, I have the engine registered and it makes for quick reference.
IMO not the most user friendly site tho'
These pumps are what the website state for my serial #
I am sure the OEM is a safe way to go..........just not sure if it is really any better than the aftermarket.
I don't want to just take the "cheapest" route, especially with something as crucial as the water pump, also don't like wasting $$$
I'll do a little more research.
Brett,
I have found "re-man" pumps but have not been able to locate a "Cummins re-manufactured"
If more than 1/2 the price of a new OEM? I'll would just go with new.
That is a very common pump. Also very easy to replace with the easy front access in the rv application. I wouldnt hesitate to go aftermarket as long as it comes from a reputable source/brand (I use a lot of Interstate Mcbee as well as D&W Diesel parts on Caterpillar engines without issue)
I understand the OEM vs aftermarket debate. If it was an internal part or something that was hard to replace then the assumed reliability of an OEM part has added value. I am not sure how hard it is to replace the water pump but as I said if not too hard then perhaps the aftermarket part. I am not sure how water pumps fail, probably lots of ways but if you are watching coolant temps then you may have some warning.
I had a radiator connector hose (2.5") fail this winter after 17 years. I replaced it with a Gates hose, not what FT used but what I could get. I have a two spares, there are three of these on my coach. But then any other hose could go at any time.
Most of the time seals fail and leak,over time and under certain conditions the metal impellers will wear down to nothing and not move any water,have worked on engines that have a pressure gauge installed to monitor water pressure,some even have a low
pressure shutdown.
Have had several water pumps on large road engines fail internally. The impeller slips on the shaft so cruising at constant rpm seems ok but during rpm changes (accelerating and or shifting) they get hot. Another failure point is if the pump is drive by the timing gears I have seen the shaft seal leak coolant into the timing cover. Had to pull the oil pan to see where the coolant was coming from.
That being said there are name brand rebuilt parts just not Cummins parts that are good. Just watch out for no name or unheard of brand parts.
I would not be at all surprised if someone told me that the Genuine Cummins Water Pump is made in China. I know that is the case with all the new C8.3 mechanical lift pumps. Doesn't matter where you buy them - they are all made in the same overseas country. You just pay more for the Cummins name on the box.
I'm not saying everything built in China is junk. I put a Chinese built lift pump on our coach, and it is working fine. Will it hold up as long as the original 2 decade old pump (which was Made In England)? Might have to ask the next owner...I doubt I will survive long enough to find out. :'(
I bought an Genuine Cummins exhaust manifold for my 8.3. Paid much more for it than the off brand non Genuine Cummins unit. It was made in China. Wonder if that Chinese factory that makes that same Genuine Cummins manifold sells it to any off brand companies?
Cast iron impellers are pretty durable., rebuild process is probably is less than an hour. I own a 83 MBZ 300sd and parts are dirt cheap because they are still performing in third world countries.
$20 water pump, $30 brake rotors, $35 for new calipers. Cost of ownership over the last 10 years and150,000 miles is less than $2000 for parts
Last year I replaced and kept as a spare my original water pump that was made in England on my 8.3. The replacement from Cummins was made in Mexico. The following is my experience replacing the original with a a Napa (Gates) and ultimately one from Cummins. There are also two links to Cummins history in Mexico. Prior I've never had to quickly replace a Napa part, this was my first.
C 8.3 Coolant Pump Part # (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=31729.msg292121#msg292121)
Cummins Opens R&D Center in Mexico - Inside INdiana Business (http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/story/36192271/cummins-opens-rd-center-in-mexico)
Locations | Careers (http://careers.cummins.com/mexico/english/getting-hired/locations)
Years ago I made a stainless steel conveyor for the repco heat treatment plant,
They made universal joints for cars and trucks,
While I was installing the conveyor,
I asked the manager about Pirate parts and did he make lower quality for wholesaler parts,
His reply,
Today we make Ford Parts, and put them in a Ford Box, $160-00
Tomorrow we make Holden parts and put them in a Holden Box, $140-00
The day after we make wholesaler parts and put them in a plastic bag with the number on them, $30-00
They are all the same part with the same quality, It costs too much to make inferior parts by changing the materials,
With inferior materials, There is the chance of getting the materials mixed up and then we would have to have a recall,
Recalls are extremely expensive, So we dont even consider it,
You pay for the box it comes in, Not the part inside the box,
I use aftermarket parts all the time,
Just dont buy Fly by Night company products,
Brian, your post triggers some memories. 1) Early 60's worked for Western Gear Corp (Owned by Jesuits), Belmont CA., subcontractor for FMC, maker of the Bradley Tank. My job, age 18, thread grinder on final drive hub for Bradley tank (told it was a $450 part) If it was case hardened to hard, my thread gage would not pass, and this made the steel brittle and weak. Gov't inspector would say put that or those on that pallet, they will get rejected on the next shift. In the morning they would be gone. A couple years later the tanks are failing in the field, final drive hub breaking. I knew why. Never did I see a rejected part, which was suppose to have the threads marked with red dye by the inspector. Someone was paid off. Greed sucks! A huge lesson for me. 2) As a Volkswagen dealer I was told quality control depended on upper mgmt, not what country it was made in. In the 80's they were building product in over 20 countries. 3) Worked as Gen Mgr at a Toyota Store, I was shocked their part sales were so low and I found out why. At VW starter motors, alternators, fuel pumps, etc., lasted about two years. Went to Japan as a dealer and learned how they sourced parts, paying incentives to mfg for 0 defects while under warranty. A lot of life lessons in my past. I wish Toyota built rvs, not really, probably would not be in my budget, extremely pleased with my 20+ year old FT. And yes Brian, I also owned part of an after market VW parts company. We specialize in buying overruns from German mfgs suppliers. We would buy an alternator in Germany for $20 as an overrun from Bosch for the same part we would have buy as a dealer from Volkswagen of America for $65.
For my rv I buy replacement parts based on mine and others experiences. I lean very heavily on rv technicians that see a volume of replacement parts that most of our forum members can not.