Coolant leak in odd place
 

I have noticed Im getting a small amount of coolant dripping from just behind the oil pan. It is collecting on the flat surface just behind the oil pan and to the front of the starter.

Can someone tell me what this is and how to fix it?

Can of stop leak maybe?

Do you have a beehive oil cooler?

your passenger floorboards wet? Heater core on its way out maybe? Wrong side though...

If you have the beehive oil cooler, check your coolant hoses there. After I rebuilt my engine the coolant hose running from the top of the engine to the bottom of the beehive ruptured and coolant started pouring out right where you're describing.

Even without the beehive, there is the heater hose that runs from the driver's side of the engine and up/across to the heater core. It may be leaking and running down to where you are seeing it.

Another possibility is that one of the freeze plugs on the back of the engine is leaking. This would send coolant into the bellhousing area and you may see a leak between the transmission and the engine. Also, along these lines, is there are the seals for the tension bolts and one of them may be failing. This would also show as a leak in the bellhousing area.

Yes I have the beehive. About 5 months ago replaced the seals on it, as well as the hoses. I will check to see if they are leaking.

So, gsl-se, if its the freeze plug or tension bolts, what is my fix? I can do little things like water pumps and stuff but I know I cannot pull the motor and fix anything. Do you think some stop leak will help?

If you do resort to a stop leak product, be very carefull and make sure it does not contain anything that will harm the motor (like copper). I have had success with a product called Alumaseal, which runs for about 4 bucks.

However, if the issue is a freeze plug, then you may end up with it falling completely out somewhere down the road leaving you stranded at best, or with a burned up motor at worst.

If the issue is with a seal that can only be reached by rebuilding the motor, then I would consider the Alumaseal.

Good luck... :)



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This weekend, Im going to check the easy stuff like heater hose and my floorboards for antifreeze from the core possibly. If all this checks out, can you see, get to the freeze plugs from under the car without pulling the motor?

For the freeze plugs or tension bolt seals, you would have to pull the transmission, clutch, and flywheel to access them. There are a couple inspection plates (top of engine, side of engine (near exhaust/intake)) that you may be able to take off and have a look to see if you can see any coolant in that area. Mostly, you can only see the flywheel and part of the clutch from there, but I would suspect that you would at least see some coolant from those plates if it is leaking back there (might not be able to see the leak exactly). There is also a rubber plug on the bottom of the tranny bellhousing. Try removing it and see if any coolant comes out.

Hopefully it is just a leaking hose or something.

Rob, my guess is that the leak is coming from one of the three coolant hoses going to the oil cooler. my best guess would be that its either the hose going from the heater core to the lower portion on the oil cooler or the shorter hose on the cooler. over time, oil gets spilled on these hoses and they become soft and begin to spilt and can slowly leak..or burst all at once. i lost an engine on the highway last year to a bursted coolant hose. it was the long hose from the heater core to the lower outlet on the oil cooler. i would replace the two hoses in question and replace the clamps if they ae nasty as well. these are my best guesses and are not definate by any means. feel free to post pics of the leak and of your oil cooler coolant hoses

I'm with these guys Rob, I'm betting on the hoses to the bee hive. Even if you recently replaced them, there might be a loose connection somewhere.

If you haven't done this already, I'd recommend a good degreasing (engine degreaser, autozone) and hot detergent wash (dish detergent, followed by a good hosing) of the entire area (do the whole engine bay while you are at it, clean bays are totally cool). This will make the leak easier to find and will also help protect all those hoses and wires that live down there that are easily deteriorated by all the oil and grime that also likes to hang out in that area.

Also check your intake manifold, if it's leaking up around the intake manifold, as can happen because of a bad gasket or o ring, you may find coolant accumulating at the base of the carb, down there where the shutter valve is or was. That coolant could be drooling down the engine and transmission, making the leak you describe. If you find coolant up by the shutter valve it's time to order an intake gasket and o rings and renew your intake manifold installation.

And yeah, like Dave says, pics are worth a thousand words (and movies worth a million: can you get a vid of the drip-drip-drip?)

yeah if its down by the starter its a hose, if you used worm hose clamps especially, as they loosen up

I appreciate the responses. I got my new coolant level sensor today and put it in. I had some leaking around the old one but there is not way its getting to where Im seeing the drips. I also checked my passenger side floorboard and its dry. It was getting dark so I took a flash light and also looked at the hoses I replaced when doing the oil cooler and felt the connections and they look dry. I will get under there Friday or Saturday and get some pics. Man I just hope its not something that will require an engine pull.

Thanks again Dave and Ray, I will double check my hoses in the light this weekend.

Gsl-Se, I do see that black rubber plug thing and that is where its dripping from, not directly from that but the flat sliver surface it plugs into. What is that for? If I pull it and I see coolant, what does that mean? Should anything come out if I pop it out?

If you pull that rubber plug, nothing should come out. If a bunch of coolant poors out, then the problem is at the back of the engine (freeze plug for example).

Hopefully it is just a leaky hose and the coolant is running down there and it is just looking like it is leaking from there. Leaks can be tricky that way.

Thanks, Ill pull it and see what happens. What is it there for?

its an inspection plug for the clutch.

Thank, hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving.