water pump service-life survey

[<JHertzman@xxxxxxx>]

In AD7-006 Bernie Bennett proposed a survey (non scientific) of Milano owners
on the digest to confirm, contradict, or remain ambiguous about the pattern he
believes he has spotted from anecdotes relayed to him of frequent failure of
water pumps mostly in early Milanos, '87 models  with the 2.5 Litre motor.
This followed a report from Doss Halsey of an early water-pump failure on his
'87 Milano, which was followed by Tony Wood's remarks on a long-lived 164 pump
which Tony thought was "probably the same as on the Milano V6".

OK, my Milano, an '87 Platinum, build date 11/86,got its new pump at 19,840,
which did seem a bit early; my highest mileage two-liter was well over 100,000
when I sold it, still with the original pump (as were all of my other Alfas,
1300, 1600, 1750, & 2000. Luck?).

The I.A.P. catalog lists one water pump for the "GTV-6, 1981 on, and Milano,
all",  and two others for the 164- one '91-'93, the other '94-'95, the later
about 25% more expensive than the former, with the GTV-6/Milano between. 

The obvious question is whether Bernie's survey should include the coupes, and
if not what would be the critical difference in failure rates (or anecdotes)
between an '86 GTV-6 and an '87 Milano, or between the '87 and later Milanos.
Or, for that matter, between the 2.5 and three liters, or between the other
2.5s and the Platinums, which had some detail differences in the engines said
to be related to tooling-up for the transverse engines to come.
.
Beyond owner anecdotes, this would seem to be an area where a full-time Alfa
mechanic might make some valid generalizations. Anyone? 

John 

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End of alfa-digest V7 #7
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