AC Delco Professional water pump 4 years

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Dec 31, 2017
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Just checking in on a AC Delco water pump I installed 4 years ago in my beater, a 2005 Ford Taurus. Still runs fine after four years with Prestone 5 year coolant in place. It was made in China. Enjoy the old pics of it before it was installed.

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Unless you get the "real deal" Professional which I believe they now call GM Genuine (AC actually clarifies the recent marketing semantics on their website if anyone cares to look it up), they're just re-boxing basic parts from other suppliers like Mevotech, Four Seasons etc

I'll buy the basic AC Delco stuff if the price is right, but I don't have any delusions that it's somehow better than other aftermarket stuff, especially if it's for a Ford or Dodge etc
 
Unless you get the "real deal" Professional which I believe they now call GM Genuine (AC actually clarifies the recent marketing semantics on their website if anyone cares to look it up), they're just re-boxing basic parts from other suppliers like Mevotech, Four Seasons etc

I'll buy the basic AC Delco stuff if the price is right, but I don't have any delusions that it's somehow better than other aftermarket stuff, especially if it's for a Ford or Dodge etc
I wish we could just rely on a certain brand to give us quality parts. It always seems like a gamble these days.
 
Unless you get the "real deal" Professional which I believe they now call GM Genuine (AC actually clarifies the recent marketing semantics on their website if anyone cares to look it up), they're just re-boxing basic parts from other suppliers like Mevotech, Four Seasons etc

I'll buy the basic AC Delco stuff if the price is right, but I don't have any delusions that it's somehow better than other aftermarket stuff, especially if it's for a Ford or Dodge etc
ACDelco OE(blue) is GM OE, ACDelco Gold is the old “Professional” line, Silver is the old “Advantage”. The Gold/Silver is a rebox, and GM’s backing the warranty.
 
I refuse to buy AC Delco parts anymore because you're just paying the middle man for the same white box stuff you can get elsewhere. I will buy an OEM Delco part from the dealer or rockauto - but the lower tier Delco stuff - no way.
 
I refuse to buy AC Delco parts anymore because you're just paying the middle man for the same white box stuff you can get elsewhere. I will buy an OEM Delco part from the dealer or rockauto - but the lower tier Delco stuff - no way.
I paid $26 for it and selected it from a list from Rock Auto. It looked pretty good and has lasted four years. I’ll report back if it fails while I still own the car. ;)
 
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Unless you get the "real deal" Professional which I believe they now call GM Genuine (AC actually clarifies the recent marketing semantics on their website if anyone cares to look it up), they're just re-boxing basic parts from other suppliers like Mevotech, Four Seasons etc

I'll buy the basic AC Delco stuff if the price is right, but I don't have any delusions that it's somehow better than other aftermarket stuff, especially if it's for a Ford or Dodge etc
The pump I just replaced on my truck was a made in China AC Delco from about 5 years ago, at around 265,000kms (when the original failed). The bearing got really noisy at 382,000kms. I drove it at least 1000kms with the noise before doing it on a long weekend, it hadn't started leaking yet.
I replaced it with a new USA made Melling. The quality looked really good. Hopefully it holds up. The included thermostat sucks though compared to the stant superstat I had in it before.
 
I paid $26 for it and selected it from a list from Rock Auto. It looked pretty good and has lasted four years. I’ll report back if it fails while I still own the car. ;)
The AC Delco water pumps are one of the few for the Chrysler Magnum line (ie 318, 360 and the 3.9? V6) that just include the metal bypass tube in the box.

I'm sure the pump is so-so but it's intelligent product pairing IMO because 98% of the time you want to just replace that tube also.

You know you’re desperate (and unprepared) when you're trolling the HELP! aisle at Autozone at 9pm on a Saturday night and overpaying for that stupid tube. Not that I've ever done such a thing.....
 
The pump I just replaced on my truck was a made in China AC Delco from about 5 years ago, at around 265,000kms (when the original failed). The bearing got really noisy at 382,000kms. I drove it at least 1000kms with the noise before doing it on a long weekend, it hadn't started leaking yet.
I replaced it with a new USA made Melling. The quality looked really good. Hopefully it holds up. The included thermostat sucks though compared to the stant superstat I had in it before.
TBH, I replaced the water pump on a friends Explorer with the god-forsaken 4.0L OHC Cologne V6 with a Motorcraft made in Germany pump, it leaked off the bat due to a porous casting. We were desperate, went down to O’Really and it was between a Cardone reman or a Chinese new pump in a Murray box. Went with the Murray. 6 years later, it’s still working.
 
TBH, I replaced the water pump on a friends Explorer with the god-forsaken 4.0L OHC Cologne V6 with a Motorcraft made in Germany pump, it leaked off the bat due to a porous casting. We were desperate, went down to O’Really and it was between a Cardone reman or a Chinese new pump in a Murray box. Went with the Murray. 6 years later, it’s still working.
I believe the one I put on my Oldsmobile 350 v8 in 2007 was a Cardone. Somehow it's still going now, 110k miles later. I'm thinking about replacing it before the next long trip because it has to be on borrowed time.
 
They are all likely (OEM and aftermarket) made by the same factory in China. Four years isn't a big deal for a water pump. I have two aftermarket Chinese pumps much older, still in use and still leak free.
 
They are all likely (OEM and aftermarket) made by the same factory in China. Four years isn't a big deal for a water pump. I have two aftermarket Chinese pumps much older, still in use and still leak free.
I would pay extra to try to get the 14 years and 160k miles that the original lasted. 4 years is better than 1 year but things get dicey when you're always driving around with a multiple replacement parts all of which have an extremely limited lifespan compared to original.
I paid extra for a locally rebuilt starter (learned my lesson with AC Delco on my Caprice a few years back). The original starter drive let go at 18 years and 240k miles. I probably start the truck on average 20 times a day for work.
 
I would pay extra to try to get the 14 years and 160k miles that the original lasted. 4 years is better than 1 year but things get dicey when you're always driving around with a multiple replacement parts all of which have an extremely limited lifespan compared to original.
I paid extra for a locally rebuilt starter (learned my lesson with AC Delco on my Caprice a few years back). The original starter drive let go at 18 years and 240k miles. I probably start the truck on average 20 times a day for work.
I know what you mean but hard parts like water pumps worry me a bit less.

I put O'Reilly ignition stuff and a Dorman TPS in this girl's Honda awhile back. She's a broke college student and just can't afford better, esp when an aftermarket "ignitor" is something like $30 and OEM Honda is $300. I know the OEM is 10x better but when you're young and broke you take your chances......(honestly, it's already lasted longer than I thought it would!!)
 
They are all likely (OEM and aftermarket) made by the same factory in China. Four years isn't a big deal for a water pump. I have two aftermarket Chinese pumps much older, still in use and still leak free.
Gates did buy out their Chinese manufacturing partner, GMB also has a plant in China.

If it’s an “easy” to access pump, I might be more receptive to taking a gamble with a Chinese pump.
 
I would pay extra to try to get the 14 years and 160k miles that the original lasted. 4 years is better than 1 year but things get dicey when you're always driving around with a multiple replacement parts all of which have an extremely limited lifespan compared to original.
I paid extra for a locally rebuilt starter (learned my lesson with AC Delco on my Caprice a few years back). The original starter drive let go at 18 years and 240k miles. I probably start the truck on average 20 times a day for work.
I seriously doubt the the original factory pump and an OEM replacement (Motorcraft) are the same product made at the same manufacturing plant.
 
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I know what you mean but hard parts like water pumps worry me a bit less.

I put O'Reilly ignition stuff and a Dorman TPS in this girl's Honda awhile back. She's a broke college student and just can't afford better, esp when an aftermarket "ignitor" is something like $30 and OEM Honda is $300. I know the OEM is 10x better but when you're young and broke you take your chances......(honestly, it's already lasted longer than I thought it would!!)
Yeah definitely sometimes you just have to take a chance when the price difference is like that.
For me it's things like the starter, fuel pump, and to an extent water pump...that I don't want failing on me. The water pump gave me plenty of warning, but the original one just started leaking like crazy as we pulled into the office one day. We drove it 5 minutes to the shop to get it done. The starter I took a chance, thinking when it did fail I could revive it with a little tapping. But this one, maybe because of how long everything else managed to hold up, the drive broke and it wasn't ever going to work again.
I need my truck to be reliable because the company pays me mileage to use it for work every day. They don't care how old it is as long as it looks okay and doesn't break down all the time. The starter was the first actual breakdown for it, all these years. I try to be pro active to prevent any breakdowns.
If the fuel pump started getting noisy, I'd be replacing it immediately. But that's one part I'll be really fussy about what brand I put in it.
 
I would pay extra to try to get the 14 years and 160k miles that the original lasted. 4 years is better than 1 year but things get dicey when you're always driving around with a multiple replacement parts all of which have an extremely limited lifespan compared to original.
I paid extra for a locally rebuilt starter (learned my lesson with AC Delco on my Caprice a few years back). The original starter drive let go at 18 years and 240k miles. I probably start the truck on average 20 times a day for work.
Heavy use. Toyota says starters are good for 30k starts- that translates to 1500 work days for yours...
 
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