stilov

SO I bought a boxster...when doing an oil change the other day I noticed a very small drip coming from the corner on the waterpump.

I bought a pump gaskets etc...just got done putting it all back together and put some coolant in...the drip is worse. I haven't even started the car to build pressure yet.

Is there a chance it is not the pump leaking and the cross coolant passage that goes in from of the engine?

See in this pic...

I guess I could pull the pump again and put a new gasket on, or pull off that pipe on the right and reseal all that too.

Any advice? Words of wisdom?

Macster

You are in the best position to answer your questions.

You didn't mention any difficulty with the water pump job, so it is hard to believe you botched the job bad enough to have the pump/gasket leaking with no pressure behind the coolant.

If the leak is not from the gasket/water pump then, and I suspect it is not, then it has to be from some other source.

Since you are the car you have to look above where the water pump fits for another source of the leak. That you spot drips means you should have a relatively easy time finding this leak.

Use your hand to feel/wipe various surfaces around fittings, hoses. When it comes out with coolant on it you've found the leak area.

Or take a bright light and a mirror on a stick/swivel and look around everything above the water pump.

Follow the hoses that run from the pump too. The leak could be from someplace towards the front of the car and the fluid is running down the hose to the water pump.

I'm not sure how hard it is to get to but check the coolant tank. These have a tendency to leak and the tank is above where the pump is located.

stilov

For sure the water pump gasket was seeping prior to me doing anything...I am thinking now that its worse, it would make sense that it was something I did.

It may be this...

I used some silicone gasket as well as a gasket. I applied it to the new pump...easy. Then I applied it to the block...that's where maybe I had some trouble. There was a spot of the bock that seemed like it had residual coolant as it was slippery and the silicone wouldn't bond well there.

Then to top that off...I didn't let it cure like I was supposed to, so if the silicone did not bond there, wouldn't it continue to let coolant seep through?

Either way I pulled it apart and dealer parts was closed today so I need to go pick up a new gasket and tried again...taking more time for the cleaning.

Mighty Shilling

that could be your problem. the gasket is intended to be installed dry. pull it apart, clean the pump and the mating surface on the block, clean it again, and then a third time for posterity, and then reinstall.

if there is no silicone from the factory, don't put it on.

stilov

Really? No sealant? Ok.


They I really do have to clean that sucker up.

notthd

I know this is an old post but I have a very similar issue Water dripping down from the pump pulley but all else looks dry. How did yours come out?
Cheers Mike

stilov

Turns out I went through like 2-3 aftermarket pumps... then I just broke down and bought a Porsche one. The difference was how the gasket surface was machined. The AM ones had machining grooves in the surface and the oem one was perfectly flat. Put the oem on and it never leaked again.

notthd

Cannot wait to see what the VAICO pump looks like. They are division of Vierol - a German auto parts manufacturer. I will inspect the surface and maybe polish it if it does have machine marks. Thought The Silicone making it worse was a strange phenomenon. Who knew. Thank you for the reply.

Cheers, Mike