Howdy folks,
I'm brand new to the diesel scene, just picked up an 01 2500 Dmax last week, so I don't have much to contribute yet concerning diesels. But on the water pump question I do have some expertise. I worked for 4 years in the R&D department of Eastern Industries, Inc. in Panama City, FL. They are the largest manufacturer of automotive aftermarket water pumps in the world. The quality of their water pumps is second to none, and in fact is superior to many of the O.E. pumps. On this particular pump (Eastern # 18-1601) all components are made to EXACTING O.E. specs (blueprints and specs provided to Eastern directly from GM) with the exception of the ball-roller design bearing and the bearing shaft seal. These two components are actually of a superior design to the O.E. versions. I no longer work for this company and have no investments with them, so I have no financial incentive for making this recommendation. But when it comes time to replace the water pump on my 01 Max, I will demand the Eastern Industry pump because I know personally the quality that they build into their water pumps.They are available through ACDelco and many other outlets. Check them out at
www.eipumps.com.
Beers,
Ken