on my '80 (with an '85 12A engine) race car, I run it, then shut it down, and there's like this.. hissing sound, can't find where it is, then I look on the front engine pulley, and it's like sputtering out some air and coolant (I think). I'm pretty sure it was coolant.

However, there was what I THINK was oil going all over the underside of the front part of the hood and engine bay. It SEEMED like, I dunno.. the front something was leaking and it was throwing crap all over at a fairly slow rate.

Anyhow, anyone ever have this problem? Either oil or coolant? And I've never done engine work on any rotary, so how hard is this to fix?

 

does the car indicate that it's running any hotter than usual? and can you tell if it's coming from behind the front cover or the lower edges of the water pump?

 

Do a pressure check. Should be simple to fix. Most likely water pump. But a pressure check will tell for sure.

 

looks like it's coming right from the big 'ol bolt in the front pulley

 

The E shaft pulley, would be oil. But on a 12A that wouldnt be possible.

The water pumps have a little weep hole at the bottom is that where it is coming from ?

 

I dunno I'll have to doublecheck now.. it's back up in Michigan, I'm home in Cleveland

 

prolly waterpump

 

Yeah its probally that little weep hole in the water pump. Id just swap it as a matter of course anyways, I think they are pretty cheap anyways, like less than $50

 

Just to note that the pully that the fan is/was attached to is actually the water pump pulley, the Main pulley is below it.

Not trying to insult your intelligence or anything. I have to think about this everytime I look at an engine. I've felt stupid as hell pointing to the wrong pulley at the shop before.

 

yeah I didn't even look at it really close, just noticed it was coming from a pulley with a large bolt in the middle