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Water pump problem?

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
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Mar 5, 2001
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Michigan
OK, I rebuilt the engine in 828/1k in 2010, has about 9000 on it now. This last weekend I noticed some coolant drips under the car (though I had never smelled it before that) in a weird place, driver's side not near any hoses or connections. Coolant was low, so I topped it up. The next day, I smell it after driving. I can see a small drip on the bottom of the timing cover. It was a pump from Parts Dinosaur. I plan to take the top belt cover off the weekend in the light and what is visible. It's the only place I can see it may be coming from. I am ticked off, as I hate this job in the car (in the midwest, in the cold, etc.).

Anyone with other thoughts as to source?
 

gvr4ever

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Aug 6, 2002
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6,190
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central Indiana
Only other hoses I know about on that side of the car are the two hoses going to and from the oil cooler. When my bottom one went, my car pee'ed. No little drips.
 

Barnes

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Feb 9, 2003
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6,249
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Richland, WA
I would try to look at the weep hole on the water pump. Mitsuturbo says you can see the weep holes with a mirror and a flashlight.
 

Wizardawd

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Aug 7, 2007
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1,323
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Franklin, NC
^^ that. That will tell you at least if the seal is bad in the pump. It could also be the water pipe-pump oring (doubtful since it didn't leak at the beginning), 1 or 2 of the water pump bolts go thru into the coolant jackets in the block and coolant can slip past the threads (again, should've leaked at the start), oil cooler lines (if you still have a 91+ cooler), head gasket (not a usual spot to leak) and water pump gasket. Given the fact it just started, i'm going with the pump going bad prematurely.

The leak (if out of the weep hole) typically only leaks once the car is warm and has been shutoff.

Wiz
 

grocery_getter

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Jun 20, 2004
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Kent - industrial suburbs of Seattle, WA
Over the years I've seen leak from where the water pump mounts to the block. In the old days when we all have perfectly smooth surface on the block, you can depend on the gasket to seal the water pump housing to the block surface. Nowadays I work with some blocks that show some pitting on the block surface where the water pump mounts. Because of that pitting, gasket alone is not enough to seal. I always put very thin layer of rtv on both side of the water pump gasket to help seal the waterpump to the block.

You can see the weep holes (2 of them) externally without even using any tools except maybe a strong flashlight. Look for tell tale coolant sign. If nothing is visible externally from any hose or connection points, then you might have a gasket that finally gets bad enough from coolant seeping thru the surface pits of the block and leaks.

That one you can only see after you pull the timing belt cover unfortunately.
 
Last edited:

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
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Michigan
Excellent info, all. I will try and get it checked out tomorrow during our unseasonable warm spell here.
 

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
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Mar 5, 2001
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Nothing evident from the weep hole on top, or the pipe to pump connection. I couldn't seem to see another weep hole on the pump. I will have to look some more later, as I had a couple other things going this pm as well. Only place I see fluid on the engine is at the bottom of the timing cover, so it looks like I will have to go in there.
 

grocery_getter

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Jun 20, 2004
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Kent - industrial suburbs of Seattle, WA
if you look at the water pump, the second weep hole is at 7-8 o'clock position.
 

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
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Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,964
Location
Michigan
I may have found the likely problem this weekend. The bolt that holds the alternator bracket and goes through the waterpump seems to be broken. Head spins freely. No idea why that has happened. Looks like I will be doing some teardown.
 
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