At Gates, we pride ourselves on taking a systems perspective. Contrary to our competitors, we make a point of recommending a complete overhaul. That is why, for instance, we offer everything you need to change the water pump and the thermostat together with the synchronous belt drive system via KP1TH15698XS-1 and KP1TH15698XS-2, two brand-new PowerGrip™ Kits plus water pump plus thermostat. Continue reading to learn more about the advantages of this complete repair solution.
Why opt for Gates PowerGrip™ Kits Plus Water Pump Plus Thermostat?
KP1TH15698XS-1 and KP1TH15698XS-2 have numerous advantages. For starters, these new kits are the best option when it comes to costs, and for two reasons.
• Firstly, replacing the timing belt and the water pump with or without the thermostat takes the same amount of time. And the additional cost of the thermostat itself is relatively small compared to having to replace the timing belt drive and the water pump a second time in case of a faulty thermostat between timing belt service intervals.
• Secondly, buying a total kit solution, including the timing belt drive components, the water pump and the thermostat, is more economical than ordering all the parts separately.
Moreover, you can rest assured that all components perfectly match the application and have the same warranty in case of a subsequent drive system problem or failure.
In short, thanks to our new PowerGrip™ Kits, you avoid the risk of thermostat failure between two timing belt system service intervals as well as costly comebacks (as the labour cost for thermostat replacement exceeds the cost of the part itself) and you have everything in one box from one trusted supplier.
PowerGrip™ belt, water pump plus thermostat
Why are thermostat and thermostat housing included?
We believe it is better for the thermostat and the housing to be replaced together with the water pump, because thermostats do not respond well to environmental changes and because the thermostat housing will align better with the water pump if both parts are replaced at the same time. Moreover, separating the water pump from the thermostat housing can potentially damage the metal water pump bolt holes, as you can see in the picture below.
Water pump broken bolt hole
Again, a complete overhaul is more efficient and ultimately more economical. If you keep the old thermostat housing, there is always the chance of it failing between timing belt service intervals, and your customer will have to come in for another replacement (which will be costly because of the labour hours required).
To sum up the arguments in favour of a complete overhaul:
Benefits of a complete overhaul
Cost-saving
Repair efficiency
Risks you avoid
Misalignment with old thermostat housing
Thermostat will fail eventually, leading to expensive repairs
Sturdier thermostat housing: check!
Lastly, we would like to draw your attention to an important improvement we made to the OE water pumps for which we provide replacements parts via the KP1TH15698XS-1 and KP1TH15698XS-2 kits. The thermostat housing of OE VAG 06H121026 DC is black, and it is made of plastic.
Our water pump, by contrast, has a metal thermostat housing, which is obviously a lot sturdier:
Gates water pumps with thermostat
OE water pump with thermostat
The most important take-away of this article? With the Gates timing belt kits including a water pump and a thermostat, you can avoid risks, extra labour time and costly comebacks!