Westfalia sink waterpump's ~The pro's & con's of both ty

[Jedi]

Well after installing my Westfalia kit in my syncro I have come to the point of installing the kitchen sink stuff. I just got my new Delta six faucet and now it is time for the Water pump. I see that 2 types are out there.
http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=2428&category_id=128&category_parent_id=
and this type
http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_92_1283/westfalia_h20_sink_pump_early__under_sink.html
I would like to get some info on the pro's and cons of each unit before I order one. Kind of like a vote witch one is the better unit. My H2o tank is the type with the level indicators on the side. Thanks folks
_________________
1961 Westfalia SO34 T/BW
1961 Westfalia SO34 SWR
1964 Westfalia SO33 pearl white
1965 Westfalia SO42 Velvet green
1986 Syncro Wolfram grey with black int GL
1986 Syncro Doka
1987 Syncro Sevana beige Adventurewagen
1987 syncro Sevana beige GL
1973 Pumpkin orange Thing
2 1963 Rag top bug's
1965 Manx
1970 Single cab
1971 combi
1990 Vanagon GL
2007 Audi A4 3.2L quattro

[msinabottle]

I'd suggest just replacing the pump with the type yours originally had--or the donor van originally had. Winston's original was a submersible, that's what he got as a replacement. I did find it necessary to use Seal-All to keep the connections tight, but that worked quite well.

I'd worry about there being subtle differences in the hoses and configuration of the faucet that might be a problem if you switched types--but the advice is worth what you paid for it.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[gbrandt]

I ordered the van-cafe external pump and it does not have enough power. Water output was enemic...1 litre took 2 minutes.

I then bought a third party generic pump and it does the same in 30 seconds. Still not great but better.

Gregor
_________________
http://livetravelplay.ca
Current:
1987 Red Westy
2011 Mitsubishi RVR

Past:
1976 Orange and White Bus (Died)
1984 Green Westy (Sold - wish I hadn't)
1986 White Westy (Written off after flood)
2001 Golf Diesel

[Jedi]

Hello thanks for the info guys. gbrandt did you mount your pump to high in the cabinet? I did this before on another camper and it had a hard time keeping itself primed so it worked extra hard to pump the water. I mounted it lower and it ran fine. I hope this helps.
_________________
1961 Westfalia SO34 T/BW
1961 Westfalia SO34 SWR
1964 Westfalia SO33 pearl white
1965 Westfalia SO42 Velvet green
1986 Syncro Wolfram grey with black int GL
1986 Syncro Doka
1987 Syncro Sevana beige Adventurewagen
1987 syncro Sevana beige GL
1973 Pumpkin orange Thing
2 1963 Rag top bug's
1965 Manx
1970 Single cab
1971 combi
1990 Vanagon GL
2007 Audi A4 3.2L quattro

[gbrandt]

No, I mount the pump right on the floor, under the L shaped wood in the cabinet. The pump was simply no flowing fast enough. .2 GPM I would guess.

Gregor
_________________
http://livetravelplay.ca
Current:
1987 Red Westy
2011 Mitsubishi RVR

Past:
1976 Orange and White Bus (Died)
1984 Green Westy (Sold - wish I hadn't)
1986 White Westy (Written off after flood)
2001 Golf Diesel

[86syncrowesty]

Just replaced my - 1986 Westy - in-tank pump, OEM style from Go Westy, works pretty good if you ask me, it pushes a lot of water to me and I am not sure I would want more. In my research an aftermarket alternative would be a nice replacement but I wanted to stick with stock after reviewing all my options.
_________________
1986 Vanagon -- Syncro, Westy
2.5L Subaru

[Jedi]

I was wondering how dose the in tank style pump mount up? It is a bit cheaper pump price wise and I bet they last a little longer too?
_________________
1961 Westfalia SO34 T/BW
1961 Westfalia SO34 SWR
1964 Westfalia SO33 pearl white
1965 Westfalia SO42 Velvet green
1986 Syncro Wolfram grey with black int GL
1986 Syncro Doka
1987 Syncro Sevana beige Adventurewagen
1987 syncro Sevana beige GL
1973 Pumpkin orange Thing
2 1963 Rag top bug's
1965 Manx
1970 Single cab
1971 combi
1990 Vanagon GL
2007 Audi A4 3.2L quattro

[chimivee]

[Ahwahnee]

Yep -- just dangles in there. I thihk my first pump lasted about 20 years, replaced with the same blue submersible unit.

Mine is pretty much always submerged... i.e. the tank does not sit dry. That may contirbute to longer pump life... dunno.

[spitsnrovers]

Being as my '88 had the undersink mounted pump, not the submersible, I replaced with a like type fitting.

Replaced the puny VW original with a Proven Pump (bought at Princess Auto in Canada), but I imagine they are available at US suppliers of farm equip, tools, etc.

This pump has a plastic body, 3/8" in and out fittings, and works like a charm. Throws water through our shower hose about 6 feet long.
_________________
'88 Westfalia
'72 Triumph Spitfire
'65 Landrover Series 2a

[gbrandt]

I think Canadian vans had external pumps and US vans had internal pumps.

Just replace with what you already have.
_________________
http://livetravelplay.ca
Current:
1987 Red Westy
2011 Mitsubishi RVR

Past:
1976 Orange and White Bus (Died)
1984 Green Westy (Sold - wish I hadn't)
1986 White Westy (Written off after flood)
2001 Golf Diesel

[Homercules]

[Busdepot]

In the U.S., all Vanagons thru 1981 had inline pumps; the switch to submersible began sometime in 1982. As with many Westfalia changes, they didn't necessarily follow a specifc chassis number, so '82-range campers could have either. There is no inherent advantage to either type; it's easiest to simply replace the pump with the same style you already have.

Sumbersible ($30): http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=255070805
Inline (($35): http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=253070126A
_________________
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com

[shepherdsond]

I got my Westfalia interior from Canada so it had the external pump system. The pump was not working so I replaced it with a more powerfull Flojet model like this http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/flojet-quiet-quad-ii-water-pump/9372

I installed it in the secret space between the water tank and the cabinate to the left of the fridge. The pump has a good flow rate but it is noisy and sometimes has a problem priming when the tank is empty.

I am thinking of going to the submersible pump partly because it would be quieter but mainly because in winter it is desirable to have a system that drains back to the tank when not in use and therefore does not freeze up. You can only do this with the submersible pump.

[Chocolatewagon]

[Chocolatewagon]

OK, it turned out that the pump worked when the engine is on, so I disconnected the white wire under the driver seat from ground (I had assumed it was ground because it was bundled with the red wire, which I re-routed to the new second battery so the LED panel wouldn't draw down the primary battery). The sink pump now works, but can anyone tell me what the white wire goes to (don't have a Bentley)?
TIA
_________________
'54 Bug-first car I owned (sold)
'69 Squareback-first new car and prob last (sold)
'80 Westy-my mountain jeep and land yacht
'78 Rawson 30PH-wind powered water yacht

[hiwaycallin]

Does anyone know if it is simply a direct swap to replace the external pump with the submersible one (i.e. are the electrical connections compatible between the two)?

I ask because I would like to replace my tank with a non-standard tank (that would not fit the external in-line pump config) and thought it would be easier to just go with the drop-in-the-tank submersible model. Thanks in advance.

[Jedi]

Oh yah baby I replaced mine from the under the sink type to an in tank one. WOW it works great. Simple to instal. Half the price of some under the sink brands
. You cant go wrong with the German made in tank one. Both Gowesty and Vancafe sell them at a good price
_________________
1961 Westfalia SO34 T/BW
1961 Westfalia SO34 SWR
1964 Westfalia SO33 pearl white
1965 Westfalia SO42 Velvet green
1986 Syncro Wolfram grey with black int GL
1986 Syncro Doka
1987 Syncro Sevana beige Adventurewagen
1987 syncro Sevana beige GL
1973 Pumpkin orange Thing
2 1963 Rag top bug's
1965 Manx
1970 Single cab
1971 combi
1990 Vanagon GL
2007 Audi A4 3.2L quattro

[hiwaycallin]

Thanks Jedi.

[jmranger]

Reviving this thread, as I'm thinking about switching from an inline to an in-tank pump.

Two questions...
- Noise - I'm hoping that the submersible pump would be significantly quieter than the one under the sink. Is it the case?
- waterproofness... I haven't used the water system in my van yet, and so I'm unsure how the filling work - in particular how "it's full" works. I know it overflows from the outside, but the question is - will it overflow inside first if the cap isn't in place and tight. Measuring the height of both, it seems really close. Switching pump type would mean maing holes in the cap or the tank itself, and I want to know how good the seals need to be.

Jedi, if you happen to read this, do you have pictures of your conversion you can share?

Thanks,

JMR

(No pic of my setup, only found this one for the in-tank kind)

_________________
87 2.1L Westy 2wd 4-spd