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2004 W211 E55 AMG >>gone but not forgotten > W123 280E > W124 E280 > W126 380SE
Engine water pump frustrations
After replacing all 3 idler pulleys, both tensioners, water pump pulley, supercharger pulley (and changing the bearing) plus the crank pulley and adding an extra pulley in the form of a belt wrap kit I discovered my engine water pump pulley was loose so began looking online for a replacement. I was surprised to discover out of all the parts I have purchased and researched for the E55 this water pump was by far the most difficult to find. Even the few threads I found referencing the W211 E55 pump indicated it was not prone to failure and therefore not kept in stock by various online parts stores and dealers. Adding to the scarcity it appears all W210 and W211 E Class models use the same engine water pump with the only exception (because of the supercharger) being the W211 E55.
Anyway i eventually found an eBay retailer that sold the pump so did their compatibility test to ensure it was indeed the correct part and once confirmed placed my order and it arrived promptly a few days later.
By chance my alternator had given up the ghost last week so swapping out both at the same time was going to be convenient - or so I thought till last night when I discovered they had actually incorrectly sent me the other more common pump for every other E Class! It is similar in most ways but is missing the entire section where the 2 idler pulleys attach.
Hopping back online I found out a couple of other people had the same wrong part sent to them also. I'm unsure what their ultimate solution was though it appears even some retailers are confused about the suitability. After another extended search session I was still unable to locate the correct pump!
So today I have decided the best solution if possible will be to simply remove the pulley from the new pump and install into the old one.
Has anyone here had a failed engine water pump and how did you deal with it? Does anyone else have any suggestions? I am quite surprised at the scarcity of this particular part.
Last edited by TheTherapist; 09-06-2014 at 11:57 PM.
I just bought one from pelican parts on my last round of preventative maintenance. I had to tap two blank holes, but they were tapered and self aligned the taps for me. It's a rebuild, but I'm content with the quality.
2004 W211 E55 AMG >>gone but not forgotten > W123 280E > W124 E280 > W126 380SE
Originally Posted by StarvingArtist
I just bought one from pelican parts on my last round of preventative maintenance. I had to tap two blank holes, but they were tapered and self aligned the taps for me. It's a rebuild, but I'm content with the quality.
Hello Artist is there any chance you could post a picture of your handiwork so I can compare the units. I'm gonna have to work some sort of solution over the next 12 hours.
There is nothing to see. It was identical to the original except two holes were blanks where they should have been threaded for the idle pulley bolts. A mistake. If I remember right it's a 8x1.25mm and a 10x1.50mm. Might not happen to you.
2004 W211 E55 AMG >>gone but not forgotten > W123 280E > W124 E280 > W126 380SE
Ah the one sent to me is missing the entire section where the idler pulleys attach. I have looked on Pelican Parts even using the OEM part number and the wrong model (like the one I was sent) also comes up there. It's like the entire internet has the wrong part. We are trying to swap the pulley part around now but I think we might have stuffed both and I'm supposed to leave town last week! It will take a week to send it to me from the Mercedes on the other side of Audtralia and cost literally 10 times more plus what I've already spent. Looks like I could be pushing the car to the next town!
Here ya go, straight from the Mercedes service system
The one below is the one for all of the other models. Also, given your time constraint you probably just want to swap them out, but these water pumps are rebuildable... the flange, seals, impeller, and sleeves can all be ordered separately.
In reference to the two holes that needed to be tapped, those were likely self tapping fasteners from the factory. The service parts should have come in with tapped holes but some slip through the cracks. The R&R (remove and replace) instructions probably state a torque for a self tapping fastener and a different torque for a standard fastener.
Last edited by rockthemullet; 09-08-2014 at 09:27 AM.
Hi Guys. First post here. I bought that 117-2220 "so-called" exact fit pump...wrong! Now I have to return that one. After a week of trying to find the right one I had enough & bought a genuine MB pump.
The part number I have is 113-200-01-01-80 ( used to end in 88 )
It costs a little more but I don't want to do this job again for a while.
Here is the only source I could find after a week. It's a real correct part and has a good price...
When I replaced my engine recently I decided to install a new water pump.
I had the same problem with the pump not having the holes threaded for the pulleys.
Sent the first one back and the parts guy worked hard calling everyone to verify the correct part number for my car with the supercharger. Ordered the second one, and the same thing. No way to install the pulleys.
So, I just reinstalled the original water pump and got the engine in.
So, it seems this is an ongoing problem. Very odd when ordered by VIN and the part is over $400.
2004 W211 E55 AMG >>gone but not forgotten > W123 280E > W124 E280 > W126 380SE
Originally Posted by Gadget
When I replaced my engine recently I decided to install a new water pump.
I had the same problem with the pump not having the holes threaded for the pulleys.
Sent the first one back and the parts guy worked hard calling everyone to verify the correct part number for my car with the supercharger. Ordered the second one, and the same thing. No way to install the pulleys.
So, I just reinstalled the original water pump and got the engine in.
So, it seems this is an ongoing problem. Very odd when ordered by VIN and the part is over $400.
G
Yes this does indeed appear to be a recurring issue for purchasers of the W211 E55 water pump. The pump I bought was amazingly cheap and seemed as good quality as any other more expensive pump. Of course considering it was the wrong shape with no provision for idler pulleys made it less of a bargain.
In the end we used the gasket plus the blade, shaft, flange and other guts from the new pump and installed them into the old pump. The replacement pump was only $48 so only utilizing a few of the parts and throwing the rest away was no biggie.
Leftover parts: The new water pump housing now pillaged and plundered together with the old flange
Last edited by TheTherapist; 09-12-2014 at 11:57 AM.
Yes this does indeed appear to be a recurring issue for purchasers of the W211 E55 water pump. The pump I bought was amazingly cheap and seemed as good quality as any other more expensive pump. Of course considering it was the wrong shape with no provision for idler pulleys made it less of a bargain.
In the end we used the gasket plus the blade, shaft, flance and other guts from the new pump and installed them into the old pump. The replacement pump was only $48 so only utilizing a few of the parts and throwing the rest away was no biggie.
Leftover parts: The new water pump housing now pillaged and plundered together with the old flance
How hard was it to use the cheap donor pump to retrofit your original? I still have my 68$ one on the floor and the costly 403$ MB pump not installed yet. Very interested to know, my old pump is out of the car at 6pm est.
Yes this does indeed appear to be a recurring issue for purchasers of the W211 E55 water pump. The pump I bought was amazingly cheap and seemed as good quality as any other more expensive pump. Of course considering it was the wrong shape with no provision for idler pulleys made it less of a bargain.
In the end we used the gasket plus the blade, shaft, flance and other guts from the new pump and installed them into the old pump. The replacement pump was only $48 so only utilizing a few of the parts and throwing the rest away was no biggie.
Leftover parts: The new water pump housing now pillaged and plundered together with the old flance
Excellent. Outside the box thinking can save a E55 Man upwards of 300$
I installed my MB genuine part last night but I think I will keep my original core & gmp pump for the unforeseeable future as these 5.5 compressor pump cores get harder & harder to find.
My tensioner pulley bolt just snapped off inside the water pump assembly and it appears to be nearly impossible to bore it out without damaging the internal threading. So yeah, I'm in the market for a new water pump assembly. This thread has been very helpful, so thanks everyone before me. Just to be clear, is this for sure the confirmed part required? http://www.importecwarehouse.com/Mer...s.htm?CartID=1
You can try cutting a slot in the end of that with a Dremal and then use a screwdriver to try and back it out.
I would attempt that long before I ordered another pump and go through the work swapping it out.
If you do order another pump, be careful that you check that hole before you install it. I got a couple of new pumps when I did my engine swap and both new ones did not have that hole threaded. I ended up putting the old pump back on.
Thanks Gadget. Man, what a pain.. So even if I did shell out about $350 for a new pump, and get lucky enough to order the right one and have the right one shipped it may not come pre-threaded!? Wow. This is a bit troubling.
Most parts do not come pre tapped on these motors. Oil pans, timing covers, water pumps, etc. The bolts are self tapping and this is the way it is done at the factory as well. Clean the threads on the bolts and put a little lube on and drive them in. Not a big deal.
This should do the trick. Any pump for a W210 or W211 will be fine to pull the guts out and install in your current housing. You will need a press though.
09-06-2014, 09:36 PM
