Water pump GRAF or Hepu

When you do get a pump, buy the entire pump (front and back hemisphere) (like a GRAF brand). If this engine has been moving grit, the rear half of the water pump will be worn more open and not be able to move fluid efficiently.

in the last 10+ years have been using HEPU waterpumps.

Ive reinstalled another new HEPU(made in germany) pump due to mileage. I don't think anything is wrong with the old one. When I cleaned the o-ring seal contact area on the block it was corroded right where it left an imprint.

Looks fine to me. I typically install Graf water pumps which are a similar stamped metal design and works just fine.

I have over 200k on the Graf I installed at 120k miles.

If you're worried, replace both the water pump and thermostat. I would use a Mahle, Facet, or Wahler thermostat, and either a Hepu or Graf water pump.

I think I'll just grab a GRAF 30mm unit and compare unless someone has good info on brand quality/fitment.

the metal fins are spot welded like shit on these cheap metal waterpumps. my graf pump also started to leak from the weep hole after a year too

Have had bad luck with graf metal impeller pumps, multiple failures over 2 different cars.

Well, all of these seals are not created equal in my experience. I have had a bad experience with some seal kits that had combustion chamber seals that were really hard so they didn't stretch evenly over the injector or compress properly with the proper tools. Luckily I was able to source some of the correct ones from a tech friend the same day, so I was able to get my car going. You really need to make sure that you have the right ones, as you have to destroy the old ones to remove them, and if the new ones aren't right, you are screwed. I personally won't recommend anything other than factory parts, as too many times I have tried something else, like Graf aluminum water pumps (two failures-100%, within six months) and gotten burned.