FEBI Water Pump for 230SL

[Tomnistuff]

Does anyone have experience with the FEBI "Composite impeller" water pump?  The guarantee is still two years, but replacement is a PITA, so the guarantee is not as good as a long durability experience for a part like this.

Unfortunately I need a new water pump, and the choices are rather thin right now.  The M-B OEM (unknown manufacturer) water pump is five to six times the price.

Tom Kizer

[dirkbalter]

Tom, if you are worried about the composite  impeller, try below.


https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/1152001620.htm?pn=115-200-16-20-INT&SVSVSI=W113&DID=1101

[Tomnistuff]

Hi Dirk,
Thanks for caring and trying to help me.  That GRAF is the one I really wanted, but I tried to buy it before I posted the question.  You can't put it in your cart because it is not available.  What pops up instead is the suggestion that I buy the MBZ pump for $270 + or the FEBI with the composite impeller.  That's the reason for my post.  I can probably buy the GRAF from Europe but how long will it take to receive it?
I'm waiting for an email from Pelican Parts.  I suspect that there is a cross-link and trying to buy the GRAF pump brings up the MBZ "no longer available" response.
If the FEBI impeller is durable, I'll buy it.
Tom Kizer

[Tomnistuff]

I just received an answer from pelican parts.  The GRAF pump really is not available, leaving only the FEBI with the composite impeller.
Tom Kizer

[dirkbalter]

Sorry, I didn't recognized that.

[Jordan]

Tom, went back into my receipts and I purchased the one from Pelican but noticed it is the Graf pump (this was in 2012).

Both Budds and K&K don't specify which pump they have but the price is the same at around $80.  Autohauz has the Febi for less than half that so maybe Budds and K&K's is the Graf.

[MarkCan]

I just put the Febi on. Couldn’t find Graf anywhere. I’ll build another pump with the original impeller later on. Check it out here;
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=33951.0

[Benz Dr.]

I found a source for Whaler water pumps. They also make thermostats.

[Tomnistuff]

I appreciate everyone's input.  I suppose those freighters sitting out in the ocean waiting to be unloaded are filled with water pumps.

I just unplated my car for the winter here in Quebec to save licensing and insurance cost so I'll just wait until pumps that I trust become available.  I've got all winter (6 months) to fix it, so I'll try to be patient and do a few other things that are lower on the priority list.

Yesterday, I installed my hard top rear window with a new Mercedes-Benz seal,  since the URO seal that I originally bought for the job was too short on the ends, too long on the top and just right on the bottom.  The job I had struggled with unsuccessfully for two weeks (URO seal) took me about an hour including bedding and roping the (MB) seal in without help.

Now all that is left to do on the top is hoist it up, hover it over the car and trim the side window and A-pillar seals to fit (a little bit long so they can compress to fit well with time), if I haven't already cut them too short.

Again thanks for the advice with the water pump.  I really appreciate the help.

Dan, I can never tell when you are joking.  Is the "Whaler" pump company the one that makes marine electric sump pumps?  I can't find another one, nor can I find any automotive water pumps made by them.

Tom Kizer

[Benz Dr.]

I appreciate everyone's input.  I suppose those freighters sitting out in the ocean waiting to be unloaded are filled with water pumps.

I just unplated my car for the winter here in Quebec to save licensing and insurance cost so I'll just wait until pumps that I trust become available.  I've got all winter (6 months) to fix it, so I'll try to be patient and do a few other things that are lower on the priority list.

Yesterday, I installed my hard top rear window with a new Mercedes-Benz seal,  since the URO seal that I originally bought for the job was too short on the ends, too long on the top and just right on the bottom.  The job I had struggled with unsuccessfully for two weeks (URO seal) took me about an hour including bedding and roping the (MB) seal in without help.

Now all that is left to do on the top is hoist it up, hover it over the car and trim the side window and A-pillar seals to fit (a little bit long so they can compress to fit well with time), if I haven't already cut them too short.

Again thanks for the advice with the water pump.  I really appreciate the help.

Dan, I can never tell when you are joking.  Is the "Whaler" pump company the one that makes marine electric sump pumps?  I can't find another one, nor can I find any automotive water pumps made by them.

Tom Kizer

I had the spelling wrong. It should be Waller which is a German company making cooling system parts.

[Tomnistuff]

I couldn't bring myself to install a FEBI pump with a composite impeller, so I kept searching.  I found a German made GEBA pump made with a cast iron impeller.  It looks exactly like my car's pump as well as I can see without removing mine.
Its part number is 115 200 16 20 80  the last two are the vender code I suspect.
I found it in Ontario, Canada.  The company is AutoPartsWay.ca .
Tom Kizer

[Mike Hughes]

You are right to be concerned about installing a pump with a plastic impeller.  I had one on my newly rebuilt MGB engine a few years back.  With not too many hours on the engine I had overheating issues.  Turns out that the plastic impeller expands when immersed in hot coolant, and becomes loose on the shaft such that the it spins on the shaft - or more to the point, the shaft spins, but the impeller doesn't, and the coolant is left to try to circulate itself by convection.  MGB cooling systems are not good candidates for unassisted thermosiphon cooling!  I replaced the faulty new plastic impeller pump with one with a proper cast iron impeller and have no further overheating issues.

[mnahon]

This ad may interest some of you. Claims to be an OEM water pump, maybe for early Pagodas? Can someone check the P/N on the EPC?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/275053518207?epid=2290968349&hash=item400a779d7f%3Ag%3A2W8AAOSwkRlhrQuk&LH_ItemCondition=4

[Benz Dr.]

Here's my water pump story - on a tractor.

Unit is a White 60-85 front wheel assist which is probably 25 - 30 years old now. The water pump started leaking so I priced a new one which was over $1,000.00 because it had to come from Italy, so I sent it out to be rebuilt. We put the rebuilt pump back on and then we started to haul wheat to the elevator. On the way back the cooling fan went through the rad and destroyed the fan which is plastic so we took everything apart and started all over again. The rebuilding company helped me out some but it was far from free.
The pump was rebuilt again and when I received it I noticed that the impeller had been welded on to the end of the shaft so it would never come off. Everything ran well but I started to notice that he engine would get very hot travelling down the road but it seemed to be OK out in the field. Eventually we removed the pump again and the impeller had fallen off.

I ended up buying the new Lamborghini water pump and it's been fine ever since. I also have a 60 White and it has a Fiat engine. When that water pump let go, I went to my local NAPA store and found one for less than 100 dollars. Most people have no concept of just how expensive farm equipment parts can be.   

[DaveB]

This ad may interest some of you. Claims to be an OEM water pump, maybe for early Pagodas? Can someone check the P/N on the EPC?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/275053518207?epid=2290968349&hash=item400a779d7f%3Ag%3A2W8AAOSwkRlhrQuk&LH_ItemCondition=4

To me that one looks too short to suit a 230SL, though it does have the correct-looking oil fill and drain plugs. I don’t have my parts book handy to check the numbers.

[Jordan]

This ad may interest some of you. Claims to be an OEM water pump, maybe for early Pagodas? Can someone check the P/N on the EPC?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/275053518207?epid=2290968349&hash=item400a779d7f%3Ag%3A2W8AAOSwkRlhrQuk&LH_ItemCondition=4

Meyer, my 230SL parts book shows 121 200 06 20 for the water pump and 127 201 04 01 for the housing.  If you look at the second picture it shows a part # of 127 201 02 01 on the housing.  Maybe you could ask them to send you the part # that is on the actual water pump.

[Jordan]

Here's my water pump story - on a tractor.

Unit is a White 60-85 front wheel assist which is probably 25 - 30 years old now. The water pump started leaking so I priced a new one which was over $1,000.00 because it had to come from Italy, so I sent it out to be rebuilt. We put the rebuilt pump back on and then we started to haul wheat to the elevator. On the way back the cooling fan went through the rad and destroyed the fan which is plastic so we took everything apart and started all over again. The rebuilding company helped me out some but it was far from free.
The pump was rebuilt again and when I received it I noticed that the impeller had been welded on to the end of the shaft so it would never come off. Everything ran well but I started to notice that he engine would get very hot travelling down the road but it seemed to be OK out in the field. Eventually we removed the pump again and the impeller had fallen off.

I ended up buying the new Lamborghini water pump and it's been fine ever since. I also have a 60 White and it has a Fiat engine. When that water pump let go, I went to my local NAPA store and found one for less than 100 dollars. Most people have no concept of just how expensive farm equipment parts can be.

I would tell people when they asked that anything you wanted to purchase equipment wise in farming was in multiples of $5K.  The absolute cheapest thing was $5K and things went up from there in multiples of 5, and that was over 20 years ago.  Things have only gotten more expensive.  And they wonder why small farms are disappearing. 

[mnahon]

I sent the seller an email asking him for the P/N on the pump body and even sent him a picture of where the part number is located. He responded saying the P/N is 127 201 02 01. So either he misunderstood my question, or the pump has same P/N as housing...