Seems I have some water dripping from the bottom of the timing belt cover. Am I right to assume this is the water pump seal? A common thing?

Guess I have to pull the covers and see lol

 

get a white paper towel and stick it in the water...what color is it?
clear? or pink/orange/green/blue (coolant color)?

 

Clear. Why?

 

I think Spencer is alluding to the fact that if the leak was from the water pump seal, it would be coolant mix, which would be colored according to what coolant you would be using. Unless you are running straight water in your system, highly unlikely that water pump is leaking if it is clear. Maybe just condensation?

 

If it is clear and OP uses anti-freeze as coolant, the condensate could be from a leaking exhaust header flange leak, condensing exhaust water vapor on cold engine start up.

 

pressure test the system. Leak should be easy to spot. The short radiator hose at the cyl head can leak & run down the front of the motor.

 

Well folks.. my coolant is clear. I have always used Shell pre-mix. However, when I drain it, it has a bit of green ting to it. Very strange. I would say the drops look a bit greenish when hanging on the TB cover.. but touching with a paper towel results in a clear spot. With a bit of oil. Probably from all the grime surrounding the area constantly.

If there's a bone-dry dirt-free daily driven 1980s 944 or 951, I'd love to see it and get the secret

 

Here's the engine that my 924S aspires to be. Oil and grime free. I say that you have a leaking water pump or a cracked block. Plus,check for a pin hole leak in the coolant return hose (radiator to overflow tank) or upper radiator hose. And..check the heater hose to the water pump...

 

I bet a motor like that stays grime-free all its life on the photo-shoot stand

Cracked block? What the??? That's a thing on these?

 

Dan, best way to know is to pressure test cold (15 pounds pressure max) with the timing belt cover removed (as 951Tom said). You'll spot the leak, and if its on the front of the engine could be any hose, connection, water pump, coolant adapters on the head, etc. It won't take long and you'll know for sure. I'd stop guessing...

 

You guys are right, of course, and I'm already planning for diagnosis time hopefully Saturday morning. I've got a spare reservoir tank cap and a compressor with extra fittings: anyone try to make a homemade coolant pressurize tool?

Would save me time hunting a rental down

 

I've seen a Porsche home made pressure tester one time but it was made of a block of silver and covered with gold leaf. So check your local auto parts store to see if you can get a loan on one or go to Harbor Freight for around $100. A pressure test then if needed a Magnaflux test.
https://www.hunker.com/13416275/how-...with-magnaflux
But as others have said, troubleshoot!

 

Got hold of a coolant pressure tester and discovered the leak. It seems to materialize out of a solid piece of metal!

That is, it is not coming from a seal or thread... not a clamp or hose... but... from the middle of nowhere. Zoom in on this pic




At the end of this short clip, you can see it fully materialze (have to full screen to see)



What the ? I'm taking guesses. Anything

 

It's leaking down from somewhere. I'd take the timing belt cover off and try again. Put paper towels above where that drip is forming and follow the leak to the source. Were you able to check the weep hole under the water pump? That's a likely culprit. You've had your share of unearned problems, I'll give you that.

 

Thanks Tom. To get a good view, or even get fingers behind there, I'd have to take the rear TB cover off... iirc that means crank pulley, timing belt, etc. Maybe I can try a dye first. Such a crappy spot for inspecting.

What's a water pump weep hole? If it's leaking there, what might that suggest?