linderpat

After a long winter's rest, took the car for a drive, put it back in the garage. Week later, went for another drive - car drove just fine each time; it had been stored properly, and fired right up. This time I noticed several large drops of liquid on the floor, which dripped off the top side of the belly pan in the front of the engine bay. Not oil, not A/t fluid. Seemed gold colored and oily. I thought maybe coolant (my coolant is more green however). Put the car up on lift bars, pulled the belly pan and the fan shroud and examined everything very closely, with flashlight and extension mirror - could not find source of the leak. Cleaned everything real well. Drove again, and this time there was very little splashing one the top side of the belly pan - just a light spatter. Left the car sit. Week later, no leaks, no nothing. Cleaned off the splashes from the last drive, and took it for a long drive. No drips, but more light splatter showing on the top side of the belly pan.
There is no indication of any leakage coming from behind the timing belt covers at the water pump (pump last replaced in 2010).
I am mystified - is it a coolant leak? Did my clutch in the fan take a crap? (Idon't know what that silicone fluid looks like). Ifthe fan clutch, how do you know if the fluid leaked out? Everything sounds fine and runs fine - no strange noises.
Thoughts? TIA

SteveG

Check the water bridge and the nooks around it. I had coolant accumulate the low spots there and it showed up during winter storage. It also made its way to the floor. The two side gaskets are thin and more likely than the big circular one.

joejoe

My '81 has some that accumulates in the valley. While it is coolant when dried (with white paper towel) it has a different 'cooked' look. I guess from the heat of the valley. Just cannot find where the seeping is coming from.

linderpat

I don't think it is coming from the top, the splatter (which is light at this point) is only below, showing on the topside of the belly pan in the engine bay. I hate to invest the time and money in a water pump job, if that would not be the source. What does the clutch oil from the fan look like when that leaks out? Also, what are the tell tale signs that it has leaked?

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

Tensioner?

davek9

If it's coolant this would be where I would look first, If the car sits in cold storage that Big O ring shrinks a bit, also beats taking off the center belt cover.

linderpat

here are some pictures, looking down into the front of the engine and the top of the belly pan:

SteveG

Silicone: I saw what I will describe as a smear as it is flung onto the fan blades. Kinda like spin-art, if you remember those. It doesn't usu leak from a non-moving fan, hence it doesn't run straight down. It's rather like molassas.

Eplebnista

Looks like a fling, not a drip. Visualize a vertical (not horizontal as I first posted) plane tangent to the forwardmost part of the drips and start your search from there.

davek9

check your rad end tanks and rad hose connections, that fan really blows it around.

linderpat

great suggestions. I am thinking not a water pump.

andy-gts

mine did the same this winter mostly clear oil , just to right of midline in front engine and turned out to be oil from rebuilt tensioner unit

linderpat

I have an old tensioner that can't be filled. I believe it is sealed. Other OB guys chime in on this.

MGW-Fla

This is what came to my mind too,.... but whadda I know??

linderpat

ok, turns out it is the water pump. So, in I go.