Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

[landj]

2.5 years ago I decided that I needed to replace a still good stock water pump on my 3.4L 1995 Camaro because of what would later be determined to be a defective Autozone alternator. Thinking incorrectly that my stock Delco failed prematurely at 72,000 miles, and wanting to try something different, I went to NAPA, Advanced, and Orielly and was disenchanted by the chinese water pumps they carried, and finally settled on a Autozone Duralast (also chinese, but the best Autozone carries). Two and a half years and 18,000 miles later the Autozone Duralast waterpump failed (like water spewing out, 1/8 inch play, turbine cutting into water pump housing kind of failure, and with a rather short notice).

I replaced it under their gracious we-are-betting-you-don't-keep-that-car-very-long "lifetime warranty." I'm hoping that the little girl in China missed her daily beat down and just didn't get that first one assembled quite right, but I'm nervous that I may have just replaced junk with junk.

I've heard (from some searching) that all the part's store waterpumps are the same. Has anyone had good luck with the Autozone water-pumps? If one of the parts store waterpumps are better, can you explain why (from my perspective they all seemed the same). If this fails again (and I hope that it doesn't) should I go back to a Delco waterpump? (when talking about 6 hours under the hood, the fact that it's 4 times the price of a parts store part just doesn't matter anymore).

[Red&Black_Attack]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

I've used their water pumps on 2 different cars. No troubles here.

[landj]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

I've used their water pumps on 2 different cars. No troubles here.

how many miles have you put on them?

[Red&Black_Attack]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

1 car I lost not long afterwards (wreck) most recent was my '96 firebird and it lasted as long as I had the car afterwards. At least 2-3 years of daily driving.

[blackandgold]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

I'm thinking a delco pump will be the route I go once I do it, most likely going to do a preventative new pump tensioner and belt this summer.

[mousemonster1232]

I replaced mine on my 00 firebird at 114k miles, now almost 2k miles later still no problems.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

[darkflare999]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

i have a 3.4 also i just replaced mine 3 months ago...i bought a gates water pump...and i only spent $40 new not refurbished either

[Choppers]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

Used theirs on my 3.8. Had it a year and a half. Daily drive and put 30k miles on it. No problems thus far.

[landj]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

i have a 3.4 also i just replaced mine 3 months ago...i bought a gates water pump...and i only spent $40 new not refurbished either

I swear by the Gates hoses and belts, and put a new Gates tensioner on not long ago. I don't recall finding a Gates WP at Advanced, Oreilly or Napa. Did you get it locally?

[Red&Black_Attack]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

I'm sure the 3.4 parts are different so its possible gates doesnt have a 3.8 pump? I could be wrong.

[darkflare999]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

I swear by the Gates hoses and belts, and put a new Gates tensioner on not long ago. I don't recall finding a Gates WP at Advanced, Oreilly or Napa. Did you get it locally?

well i work at a shop and i got it from a parts dealer we deal with (arch autoparts) gates pumps are everywhere heres rockauto and this is ebay

[landj]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

UPDATE! My second Autozone Duralast waterpump has FAILED. I got less than a few months before it crapped out.

I hope I can get them to give me my money back. I wish they would pay me for my 12 hours that I have now spent under the hood of the car fixing thier broken waterpumps. I'll probably end up with neither, but we'll see. I just can't believe that this is happening. The only thing I can think of is that they got a bad batch of waterpumps and I've got a replacement from the same batch, or worse, every single waterpump that Duralast sells has the same flaw (bad bearings or improperly loose or installed bearings). There's no way that I can trust another Duralast part.

[ssms5411]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

I would look at a refund , I would just go with stock AC-Delco water pump, mine has a lifetime warranty though the dealer, but they never go out as quickly as yours.

[2.8 Bird]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

I would look at a refund , I would just go with stock AC-Delco water pump, mine has a lifetime warranty though the dealer, but they never go out as quickly as yours.

Yeah, go with AC Delco. Duralast make good batteries, but I've heard bad things about their other products.

[SixShooter'00Camaro]

Re: Autozone Duralast water pumps - any good experiences?

I would try to get a refund. I haven't had a problem with my Dualast WP. I had to replace the water pump in my DD car 3 months after I bought it, and its still going strong and it will be a year Ive had the car this May.