Does anyone know what the difference is between a 3rd gen water pump and 4th gen Prius besides the 3rd gen being a bit taller and an extra cooling fin? They both have the same bolt patterns. Are they interchangeable?
Stay in your generation and only use oem Aisin pumps. Aftermarkets often fail quickly while examples like my car's oem pumps are about to cross 300,000 miles. Changed coolant about ten times. An overheated aluminum engine will ruin your day and may end the engine’s life.
Is it just missing thermal paste, or there’s more, and how would you know? pretty sure the “non-original replacement” on this page is the one GM’s are giving the thumbs up: https://www.amayama.com/en/part/toyota/161a039015 just for giggles would check for thermal paste upon receipt.
There is thermal paste, and there are other thermal interface materials (TIMs), such as thermal conductive pads. Various things are assembled with them. Some of them are adhesive, and applied just the right way at the factory. In the video, those looked more pad-like than paste-like to me. It can be tempting to take one apart and look ... but with some of those materials, assembled in ways similar to how that pump looked, once you pull it apart ... you've just signed its eventual death warrant from overheating once reassembled, because the TIM won't be doing its original job.
The water pumps are the same. From 16+ pump fit to 10-15, but you can’t install it from 10-15 to 16+ because the housing won’t fit - on 10-15 there is an additional ebb on the pump, but on 16+ there is none. A couple of months ago I received an engine from Japan from 10-15 Prius and pumps from 16+ were installed on several engines. It didn't surprise me, I've done this before. I have photos
