Riddle me this - water pump?!?!

Talk and Tech about turbocharged 924/944/968 cars
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Drscottsmith
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So filled the radiator for the first time tonight and had a couple of leaks which I think are just hoses that need a couple more twists - except this.

I just put this secondary fitting with a new thermostat back on the new water pump and did not think anything about it. New O ring too. Well water was leaking from the bottom bolt. Tightened it a bit but it persisted so I thought maybe I cracked the housing or forgot the o ring.

Took it back off and found this - how on earth is coolant supposed to enter or exit the hose to the crossover pipe? I know they make a block off but I did not realize it had the nipple on it for the hose.

I am assuming this is a block off and I need a new correct housing for the thermostat?
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four0four
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Drscottsmith wrote: Mon Jul 31, 2023 5:24 pm
Took it back off and found this - how on earth is coolant supposed to enter or exit the hose to the crossover pipe? I know they make a block off but I did not realize it had the nipple on it for the hose.

...Yeah, it's a little silly, isn't it? It's so they can make/ship/kit just one and you can (hopefully) remember to drill it out when installing :)

I think the black plastic ones are not block-offs, at least those I've seen.

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DMRK
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I am in the middle of doing my water pump on my 951 as well. Now I have to look at mine to see if it is drilled through. What brand of water pump did you get? I went with the GEBA and it came with a new fitting. It definitely needs to pass coolant, I suppose you could drill it out but I would get a new one.

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Tom
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From Porsche, the black ones are drilled/open and for the turbo cars, and the white ones are blocked like that on purpose. Some retailers will sell you the white one and tell you to drill it for the turbo, but I always viewed that as an unnecessary hack.

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Drscottsmith
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Thanks all - new black and o ring in order.
This may be the first time the genuine Porsche part was actually cheaper than aftermarket - I should go buy a lottery ticket!

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Tom
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Drscottsmith wrote: Tue Aug 01, 2023 4:43 am Thanks all - new black and o ring in order.
This may be the first time the genuine Porsche part was actually cheaper than aftermarket - I should go buy a lottery ticket!
Good move, I've had well-known 944 retailers try to sell me the white one for my 944 Turbo and tell me to just to drill it out for the thermostat. I can see doing that in a pinch, but if you are taking your time to order parts, there's really no reason not to get the correct part -- as you say, it's cheap! The original pumps had no port in that location, but when they updated the pump for the turbo, they added that port for the turbo thermostat and put out a TSB saying that was the only pump to use going forward for all 944s. When they did that, they started making the white 'block off' neck for the N/A cars that didn't need the port, presumably from the same mold as the 951 to keep it cheap. Seems like just another potential leak to me, and nothing a TIG welder and scrap of aluminum couldn't seal up for good if I had an N/A. :)

https://944online.com/pdf/waterpumptech.pdf

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