New N54 All Aluminum Water Pump

KClemente

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Nov 26, 2019
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After looking around online to see if anyone's had an aluminum pump, I stumbled upon a video of a guy putting an aluminum pump onto his 335. This pump had to have come out recently because I bought one from o'reillys last year and all they had was the rebranded continental pump.

Now they have aluminum ones? I really hope they don't leak. Here's the video and link to the pump. Skip to 5:20 to get a close up of it.

The pump seems to be made in China. Lets see if our friends in China makes better pumps than our friends in Germany..


https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...2/import-direct-water-pump-new/cp6681/4381924
 
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KClemente

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Nov 26, 2019
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it's a 128 pump and flows less than 135 pump


Interesting. We don't have any specs of the pump but its definitely for an N54 because the snail adapts the oem location connector and the rear casing doesn't match the N52 pump. The guy in the youtube video has been running it for 8 months now and its still working.
 

SJ_1989

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Aug 7, 2018
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I wouldn't be concerned it'd leak because it's aluminum. Aluminum pumps aren't uncommon. I use them in much higher pressure systems than cooling systems. Issue would be quality control. OEM's rely on China manufacturing quite a bit but they have strict quality control processes in place and documented. Aftermarket doesn't (typically).
 

JuniorB

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May 9, 2017
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Both pumps have different mounting points, so it’s not a direct bolt on. The n52 pumps are actually reliable, as theres no plastic to crack. Although there are different watts, you very rarely hear of n52 pumps melting. Im surprised there isn’t a plate made to use this pump, as it’s more reliable, and plenty powerful to keep an n54 cool.
 

KClemente

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Nov 26, 2019
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Just got my pump in yesterday. 100% not plastic. I'll give you the title to my car if you bring it to a metallurgist and confirm lol.

Build quality: ?/10 (because longevity)
Fit: 10/10
Warranty: Lifetime replacement (just warrantied my old pump at o'reilly. Got this one.)

Again: I verified myself that it's aluminum. Scratch it and it leaves behind more metal. Now it's just the pump motor that we'll have to see.

Didn't take a photo of the plug, but each pin was insulated from making any sort of contact with each other and the housing.

Finished the bleed cycle and the pump sounds exactly like a new continental pump. No leaks anywhere so that's a start


48872BDA-D3D0-443A-8436-9FC4778D82BB.jpeg
71A7220C-5727-4639-9AE8-70BA49D994F9.jpeg
 

fmorelli

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[EDIT - DELETED THIS POST CONTENT AS IT WAS INDIRECT INFORMATION AND LIKELY INCORRECT]

Straight from BMW Tech Docs:

Screen Shot 2019-12-30 at 8.35.08 PM.png


Given we upgrade N54's and generate MORE heat, the N52 pump is headed in the wrong cooling direction ... regardless of how it is constructed.

Filippo
 
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fmorelli

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If I understand correctly, the N52 pump is Pierburg and the N54 pump is Continental/VDO ... which probably makes it pretty unlikely?

Filippo
 

gmagnus7

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Dec 3, 2018
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In that case, i wonder if you could swap the aluminum components onto the N54 pump. Could be a fun thing to do if i can find some junkyard pieces to see if it'd even work.
 

NoQuarter

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Nov 24, 2017
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I'm not sure where these plastic pumps are? Has this been a 335 thing all along?
I have had an old pump from my 535 sitting in a cabinet - just threw it out last week :( and it had no plastic.
 

gmagnus7

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Dec 3, 2018
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After re-reading this thread, the OP originally posted a link to a fully aluminium water pump that IS actually compatible with the N54 - after looking at the compatibility on the OReily website. It appears to be the same as the plastic one from the pictures. The quality of the brand Import Direct is another story. Its not actually for the N52 at all the N52 one is not compatible - not sure where that came from 😂
 
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The Convert

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Jun 4, 2017
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My original pump that died at like 60k on the nose was plastic. Car is an 07 though.
 

fmorelli

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After re-reading this thread, the OP originally posted a link to a fully aluminium water pump that IS actually compatible with the N54 - after looking at the compatibility on the OReily website. It appears to be the same as the plastic one from the pictures. The quality of the brand Import Direct is another story. Its not actually for the N52 at all the N52 one is not compatible - not sure where that came from 😂
Yeah ... somewhere in the thread the N52 was referenced since it is all aluminum and looks like the pump. But in fact you are right - the connectors and such are all N54 configuration. P/N seems to be CP6681 ... there are cross compatability sheets in vaarious web searches, to a variety of cars. But that said ... no luck finding who is making it, any spec sheet, etc. Would be cool if someone could surface more information.

Filippo
 

gmagnus7

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Dec 3, 2018
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135i N54
Yeah ... somewhere in the thread the N52 was referenced since it is all aluminum and looks like the pump. But in fact you are right - the connectors and such are all N54 configuration. P/N seems to be CP6681 ... there are cross compatability sheets in vaarious web searches, to a variety of cars. But that said ... no luck finding who is making it, any spec sheet, etc. Would be cool if someone could surface more information.

Filippo
Yea it would be good to get specs. Worst case scenario you pull the aluminium part off and put it on a OEM/genuine pump if you don't trust the manufacturer.
 
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