Water pump Gates or OEM Toyota

I have a Gates part with a plastic impeller in my car now and it's been attached to that motor since late 2015 with no issues when it was in my e34 and isn't showing any issues now in my E30.

Over the weekend this is how I did the water pump. I didn't have 2 hydraulic jacks, so I had to come up with some other idea. When I took out the water pump, I think the seal was starting to leak. Cleaned up area and reinstalled with new water pump.

Gates all the way. I have just a basic timing kit and water pump and i auto-x mine in the summer. Haven't had a single little problem so far.

Once I removed the thermostat, I felt in the port and although the impeller felt ok, it spun freely; not smooth like a bearing but rough like it was dragging. Since I was able to freely turn the impeller through the thermostat hole, I have to assume my water pump is failed.

Gates is crap. Bought their water pump and it failed less than a year and leaked the whole time.

Mine broke in less than 500 miles and their replacement broke too (which I paid for till I returned them the faulty one back) in less than 500 miles on an Audi A1. Now they have my money for 2 water pumps and I paid for labour costs of replacing twice, and waiting for a refund decision for more than a month. AVOID!!!

Don’t use a Gates kit or if you do purchase the Gates kit without the water pump and get a different brand water pump. Gates water pumps have an enormously high failure rate in the last several years and it sucks to have to do the job twice.

Water pump failed on the gates timing belt kit and engine shredded only 16000 miles on it

Gates water pump failure

I have seen early failure with the Gates water pump and wont use them.