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following the full engine rebuild on my 86, I’m getting some coolant dripping down the sway bar and around the front of the engine. Coming down on the bracket as shown below and front bottom of the oil pan. While idling, it’s about 1 drip every 5-10 seconds. Seems to be from the water pump, but not sure. No fluid seen on top of engine, or from any hoses that I can see..
there were no issues with the pump prior to the rebuild (it was replaced about 2.5 years ago). I used a green gasket with no sealant, and torqued to 7.5 lbs with no thread locker. Both surfaces clean prior to install.
I’m assuming water pump since it’s in that area, and I see no other leaks. Is there a way to confirm this is from the WP, without pulling the belts and covers? any other thoughts on this?
My URO brand water pump once started leaking at 50k miles. Not sure how many miles you've put on in 2.5 years. My leak was from the "weep hole" on the wp. Similar symptoms.
This is the original thread and there are some good suggestions and maybe helpful pics on it:
Well, this was before I got my many lessons in 951 repair. Had a mechanic do it right after I bought the car. Don’t know what brand he used, but that was only about 7,000 miles ago. It was out of the car for a few months though, during the rebuild.
would a leak from the weep hole indicate a failed WP, versus a failed gasket? Didn’t know it had a weep hole.
Glue Guy….yeah that’s pretty wet. If it were me, I’d want to see if the belts were contaminated (and maybe risk of skipping teeth) and would pull the covers in any event. Probably the best way forward.
Well, this was before I got my many lessons in 951 repair. Had a mechanic do it right after I bought the car. Don’t know what brand he used, but that was only about 7,000 miles ago. It was out of the car for a few months though, during the rebuild.
would a leak from the weep hole indicate a failed WP, versus a failed gasket? Didn’t know it had a weep hole.
If I recall correctly, the weep hole indicates a failure in internal bearing (wear). Quality varies quite a bit.. as does price. The job isn't too difficult or lengthy, so I bought another cheap one. So far, so good
I plan to tear it the rest of the way down this weekend if time allows, and see where exactly the leak is. The belts are 1.5 (timing belt) to 2.5 years old, they’ve seen a bit of fluid, and everything else is completely new, outside of this area. Timing belt is Gates racing belt. I’m considering replacing it all now. Tired of repeating the same jobs to get the car right, and want it to be worry free.
anyway… is there a difference in quality really with all the water pump brands we have available?
Of course there are differences in material and workmanship between pumps... probably on the same assembly line!
The question is: do the differences make a difference? Or... is the cost proportional to the quality (let's say it's more of a consistency)?
If you pay 4x more for a pump, will it last 4x longer?
With bearings, tolerance and detail count. There reportably was a guy who made the most reliable pumps rebuilding old used ones. The bearings were fit that good. I understand these are not easy to get anymore.
I’ve had good luck with new LASO water pumps. I’m on my third WP over 33 years including the stock WP and replaced one as preventative maintenance while I was in there. BTW, my first new LASO WP was recommended sold to me by a Porsche dealer…
Dry and clean the area as best you can. Then lather some blue RTV all over the area. Give a good 24 to 48 hours to cure. If you don’t see coolant afterward then you found your leak.
After doing the same work, engine out reseal, my water pump leaked at the top edge. I lathered rtv on it and leaked stopped. Ran like that for over a year no leak, until had the motivation/time to fix it. Is it the right thing to do? absolutely not. Did it work, yup.
I pulled the WP Monday, and reinstalled the studs, this time with thread sealant. 72 hour cure time for those. New gasket, WP and belts on the way. Will likely send the new WP back, and reinstall the old one with the new gasket.
It appeared it was just leaking around the stud threads. Probably could have done that without removing the WP, but oh well.
Alright… I’ve sealed the threads, let them cure, and installed a new gasket with the old pump. Put a little coolant in (could still use half a gallon or so, to be full) and pressurized the system to 10 PSI.
all looks good… except that I hear a slight whistle and am seeing some air bubbles at the top of the pump, from the gasket area. Between the blue marks here…
the pic appears to have come up side ways. This is the top side of the WP. No sealant was used, but green gasket with all nuts and bolts torqued to 7.5 foot lbs, and double checked. Engine hasn’t been run yet.
is it normal to have a slight bit of seepage before the engine is run, or do I need to pull the WP and apply some sealant?
Leak is not normal, time for sealant. I hope you didn't mean 7.5 lb/ft. An m6 bolt into aluminum should be 6 to 8 NM.
While you're in there; is the crankshaft timing sprocket installed correctly? Flange should be forward, away from engine.
Thanks Gage! Yeah, flange is forward. All good there.
On the torque, yes. 7.5 lbs. everything I’ve read shows either 6 or 7.5 ft lbs for these bolts. 7.5 is the general consensus.
I pulled the pump again today, while I probably should have been working. Rinsed and dried the gasket, and reinstalled with sealant on both sides. If that doesn’t work, I may just push it down the hill into the creek.
🤔
nah. Will leak test after 24 hours. Hopefully this does it.
02-25-2022, 06:32 PM
Leaking water pump gasket?
