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Short Version: Finally running after a LONG recovery from a broken timing belt. New Head, New front seals, new belts, pulleys, etc. Sounds better than ever before... but there are drips coming from behind the lower balance shaft carrier (where the alternator tensioner attaches). About three drops per second.
Request: Please, tell me there is some simple little hose fitting behind there that I missed and its NOT the Water pump.
Long Version: It's taken me a long time to get her back together. We don't have to go into all the dumb things I did, but many of them came from not reaching out and asking when I should have. So here we are. She was up on jack stands for a couple winters (Minnesota winters). I don't see any obvious leaks from any of the hoses. While it was being worked on, it was "open"; the radiator was out, there should have been no water in the system. I suppose, however, there was some residual water in the actual water pump, but only what would not have drained out. It was not leaking when the belt broke. The new oil that I put in to get it running does not show any signs of water. It's just water. It had antifreeze in it when I drained it, but I refilled it with just distilled water. There is very little "green" in the water that is leaking out, so I figure there wasn't too much left in the system. There was probably some in the heater core, but I haven't turned on the heater to open that up yet. I didn't touch the water pump when doing the front end stuff, unless perhaps indirectly. The water pump is about 5 years old, but of course only 3 of those were driving years. It didn't have a lot of miles on it... I daily drove it, but my work is only 2 miles from my home, so it didn't take a lot of stress. If there is some bolt I might have left off when putting this back together, or some un-tightened hose out of site, that would be awesome. If I have to pull the front end off and get to the water pump... so be it. (I really AM happy that it is running so nicely right now.... literally better than ever!!) If I have to get down to the water pump, is it reasonable to just re-do the gaskets, or do I replace the whole thing?
Get a pressure tester and put 15psi in the cooling system. It will then leak faster and you should have no problem tracing the leak to the source. It's probably just a loose hose clamp or corroded pipe end that needs re-seating, but the pressure tester will tell you for sure.
Tom, that's a great idea, and it reminds me that I have one of those. Haven't used it in while, but I think I know where I put it. My worry is that there doesn't seem to be anything besides the water pump that it could come from... just from a geography perspective... but putting it up on jackstands so I can get under and look more closely, and putting some pressure on it is a good idea.
Put it up and pressurized it so I could get under and see. Don't seen any "source". Its definitely coming down the inside of the carrier, its dry on the outside. Where I can see the pump through all the stuff, there is no obvious place where the water starts. Seems like if it was coming out of the main drive, I'd be able to see it running down the face (what little face I can see)
I'm looking at this and I can't see how I would have loosened the water pump up when I took the belts off. The water pump works fine now, and the cooling (based on letting it heat up at idle in the drive way) is working. It heats up, the fans kick in, and it cools down. I suppose its possible that the violence of the belts coming apart impacted the water pump enough to hurt its bearings... but sheesh. I guess I should have mentioned... 83, No power steering, AC Delete.
Did you feel/look under the hoses that connect to the waterpump? I suppose after 2 years, your pump gasket dried out and/or a seal went as you said, but I'd want to really know that before pulling it off. Maybe pull the front timing belt covers off for a better look?
Got all the belts and pulleys off and found the problem. It's leaking straight from the Water pump shaft. Ordered a new one, we'll see how fast I can get it together.
Got all the belts and pulleys off and found the problem. It's leaking straight from the Water pump shaft. Ordered a new one, we'll see how fast I can get it together.
Thanks for the advice.
Sorry about that, but at last you got to the bottom of it.
Got all the belts and pulleys off and found the problem. It's leaking straight from the Water pump shaft. Ordered a new one, we'll see how fast I can get it together.
Thanks for the advice.
Good for you. Pumps are cheap enough now to replace with every 2 year belt change. At least I'm going to try and do that!
07-14-2018, 10:52 PM
Help me find some good news about a water leak
