Graf does make an AL housing pump which I used this last time. Time will tell if it holds up better the the Rein plastic AM one installed in the CC.
Had a better look during weekend and the "substance" in the expansion tank looks and feels like rust particles not oil. It does not feel slick. I'll be replacing the pump with the aluminum Graf unit soon, hoping I'll last more than 100k at least.
I ordered the Graf aluminum water pump kit from ECS Tuning and did the job this past weekend. I'm glad I took the intake manifold off. I did some carbon cleaning while I was in there, I was surprised to see how much build up was in there for a 70K engine. I don't really see how I could have replaced the pump without removing the intake manifold
I went to the dealer and after a long discussion about plastic vs metal impellers (they thought the VW branded pump was metal) a nice gentleman at the dealer ordered me a Graf branded aftermarket pump for $100 Canadian all-in.
I bought this KIT from SHOPDAP and it was a breeze to install. The price at SHOPDAP is great too.
As for the aluminum one made by/marketed as Graf, there are a few issues in my experience. First, the rubber gasket from the housing to the block is known to fail by tearing where the link in the gasket between the two passage connect. I think this is because the gasket does not precise fit in the channel for the seal machined into the housing. On the one that just put on an engine I just put in my '12 Tiguan, I cut that link out, effectively making two seals and relieving the tension in the seal. Next, the O ring seal supplied for the temp sensor is known to disintegrate, so I got a factory seal. Last, if your engine has a late water pump currently with the clip that holds in the temp sensor, the two mounting bolts to the block at the sensor will be too short for the aluminum pump housing, so you need to get the bolts for an early water pump. Honestly, as long as you don't have any oil leaks, the latest factory water pump is fine. I generally don't trust aftermarket water pumps, as I have had too many fail over the years (not on these engines, just in general). I used this Graf aluminum water pump as a test. The quality seems good, but time will tell.
Had the dealer do the water pump on my 09 A6 3.0t and it was like $1800 for that alone.
Yeah... That Graf pump did not work out... Had to remove Graf pump and get the proper pump from local VW dealer.
I had a Graf pump as well and it blew up less than a year later, literally the shaft blew off while I was in traffic.
I replaced the water pump in 3/2021. By 2/2022, it started leaking, so I replaced it under warranty. It leaked again in 1/2023, leading to a 3rd replacement. Now, one month in, the new pump is already leaking, this is driving me insane. This will be my 4th replacement in the last 3 yrs! These are GRAF PUMPS.
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