Metal impeller water pump?

[Ask10]

I'm just curious on this one. I did the timing belt/water pump on my 2UZ Runner last week and the pump that came off had a metal impeller while my Aisin? replacement had a plastic one. The pump it had read "NPW".

I know if it's an OEM Aisin that there's probably no problem with it, but coming from a VW where the impeller tends to sort of fall off requiring 40-50k change intervals (if the timing belt doesn't snap by then), I'm wondering if anyone has had better "luck" so to speak with metal impeller pumps.

Just curious.

 

[RPS13]

OEM is likely Aisin (they make things like accessories and transmissions for Japanese OEMs).


Did you get an aftermarket water pump, or do you not know where it came from?

IMO, I'd only go with OEM water pumps after seeing the high failure rate of aftermarket pumps.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I wouldn't worry about the plastic impellers, they aren't as weirdly made as the BMWs and VWs (I know what you mean about them basically falling off/disintegrating.) We haven't seen any issue relating to impellers with the water pumps, more so leaks and bearings than that.

 

[Ask10]

Did you get an aftermarket water pump, or do you not know where it came from?

I bought a water pump straight a Toyota dealership, but the one that came off the truck was aftermarket I assume.

I wouldn't worry about the plastic impellers, they aren't as weirdly made as the BMWs and VWs (I know what you mean about them basically falling off/disintegrating.) We haven't seen any issue relating to impellers with the water pumps, more so leaks and bearings than that.

Thanks for the reassurance, I suspected that was the case but of course, "once burned, forever cautious." Damn German cars, as much as I love them, they've scarred me for life, lol.




EDIT TO ADD: The metal impeller pump (aftermarket NPW, whatever company that is), was leaking at 90k ish (according to the service records) so it wasn't that bad as a replacement part.