The water pump is the original with 176k miles.
I believe this happened just before the end of the driving season in early November 2025. It has been sitting in the garage since then.

The little yellow drip in the right side image appears to have originated higher up than from behind the alternator pulley.
Another image shows the yellow drip above a bolt with red drips.

I'm ordering a new water pump from Mazdatrix with the gaskets.

What I don't understand is the change in color of the coolant, if that is indeed what it is. If not coolant, any ideas what the liquid might be?

 

The mirror sure looks like an antif-reeze. I'm wondering if maybe there is also some oil leaking/seeping from the OMP a line and mixing with the anti-freeze?

 

Tim - are you running green coolant? Looks almost like corrosion in the pics that show the residue more of a maple syrup color. If truly original, the casting or gasket may be corroded causing the coloration. You'll know more once you get it apart. Not a difficult job. Let us know how it goes,

 

Smell it and taste it to determine if its coolant. The MOP doesn't appear to be leaking. Has the coolant level gone down at all in the overflow? At that mileage you probably need a new waterpumjp regardless. Might want to get some silicone hoses as well while you have it drained.

 

The OMP looks good, and the lines are intact.
There is a small seepage of the front line at the carb that I now need to attend to.
However, I could not determine if the oil made it that far down and over to the left. I need to move stuff out of the way.

 

Yes, green coolant.

Yes, I was thinking the gasket and age could be contributing to the blood color.

Yes, the coolant level in the overflow has dropped. I did track a leak going up the right side of the radiator to the top radiator hose. I tightened that clamp and all the others on the right side. I still have to check the left side hoses.

All coolant hoses were replaced with the 2014 rebuild. Only 16k miles since the rebuild.

Any sources for silicon hoses?

Next I need to clean off the workbench to make space for the parts.

I will file progress reports.

As always, you guys are a great help.

 

Ordered the pump, gaskets, and their silicon hose set from Mazdatrix.

Can't drive it now anyway. All our streets are still covered is salt dust.

 

If you do replace the water pump, make sure you also replace the water pump housing gasket - this is often an overlooked item.

 

Do the older engines get the little spacer washers, too. Asking for a friend.

 

Yes need to keep an eye on the washer shims... do not forget or misplace those. They correct for gasket thickness. I have had good luck with Hylomar as a gasket dressing.

For future reference, OEM coolant hoses and water pump are available new from Mazda.

I also had my water pump start weeping during winter storage. This was an aftermarket (GMB) pump that was probably 6years old. Maybe lack of rotating the shaft/seal and belt tension pulling to one side makes them weep during storage!

 

They do -lol. The only reason i know this is because when I bought my '83 last year - I didn't notice it had a small coolant leak until driving it and picking up the smell. It was very little since it was dripping out of the weep hole to the point where it would evaporate from the heat before hitting the floor. Anyway, my uncle volunteered to help me change it since he was fresh off of redoing his due to a leak from the water pump housing gasket. This is when he advised me to make sure I not only got a water pump but also the housing gasket and the little washers too.

 

[QUOTE=tommyeflight89;12651067]Yes need to keep an eye on the washer shims... do not forget or misplace those.

Thanks.
I ordered a set because I'm real good at loosing small parts, like the corner seal springs.

 

I got the water pump off with the housing.
There appears to be grease inside the pulley. You can see some on the bottom of the pump where the pulley attaches. Is that normal?

After I took the picture I got the pump off the housing.



.

 

I would attribute that to oil sludge built up from a slow leak somewhere nearby. Not unheard of on a rotary! If its not leaking oil it's empty.

 

I looked around and did notice what may be oil seepage between the front cover and the front iron. (Or coolant from being blown back.) But no oil trail going to the water pump pulley.
I stuck my nose in the back of pulley, no oil or grease smell, but coolant. Some was still stuck inside the pulley.
I think my sludge is a build up of dirt and coolant leaking out the front seal of the water pump.

I may replace the OMP lines with Oil Metering Hose from Mazdatrix. One line leaks at the OMP, the other line leaks at the carb. Not the tubes, but the connecting short hoses.

 

Your front seal is probably fine. I would bet the water pump sludge is grease from the water pump bearing combined with rust from the bearing races and ***** deteriorating and being forced out the front of the bearing. Clean up the drippings on the front cover and watch it. I'll bet you won't get it bleeding again.

 

LongDuck bet me to the answer.

My only thought is that this is the grease from the sealed bearing inside the pump leaking from the weep hole.

 

This is the original water pump. I have a new Mazda one in a box waiting to be installed.
Ordered some new Hylomar. I did find a very old tube, but I'll go with new on new.
And up on the garage shelf I found a bottle and spray can of Gunk engine cleaner from the 2013-14 engine rebuild.

Thanks to all for your help.

 

If it is not broken, I can break it.

When moving the housing around I broke one of the contacts on the temperature switch, again.
Taking it off to repair would be easier.

The crush washer was really crushed. I looked online for a replacement, then remembered the containers of used and extra parts in the garage.
Sure enough, still in its little zip-lock bag was the aluminum crush washer.

Picture after soldering, checking continuity, but before application of high-temp silicon sealant.

 

Finished.
Cleaned the front cover and got the grease out of the rear of the water pump pulley.
Hylomar on all mating surfaces.
New pump housing gasket.
New water pump gasket.
Torqued all to spec (I read the book)
Installed the temperature switch and checked continuity, and it was still good.
Re-installed the alternator and air pump.
Replaced the rubber hose connectors on the two OMP lines. One was leaking at the top, the other at the bottom.
Replaced the top and bottom hoses to the radiator.
Filled up the coolant.
Pulled out the choke, and turned the key.

I let it warm up until the magnetic choke disengaged. Check for leaks and went for a ride.

And if I had not replaced the radiator hoses, you can't tell any thing was done.

 

Very pretty!

 

Consider putting some type of plastic guard over this Positive terminal on the Alternator. It protrudes enough that it becomes a spark risk when working under the hood, and it sees a full 12v (+) to run the field coil along with feedback current to the Alternator when running. Just a tip, as sparks around carbs can lead to problems. Good work, all around,

 

Yep, there is one on the OEM wiring harness there but it gets hard and brittle with age.

 

Good catch.
I remember it was once there.

It slid down the wire when I took off the alternator.

 

Mine did the same and it was b#$%^& to get it back over the bolt.