Bellhousing leak ? I searched and found a lot of threads BUT ...
 

Strange.

after so many months (more like a year something 2). I finally got my rebuild engine to start and it didn't blow up and kill me :lol:

well, I'm having this strange bellhousing leak, the leak itself is not so strange as it's documented like 50 million times (told u I searched)

but what puzzles me now is that ... where the leak is coming from ?

after the leak (bellhousing dripping) I pull the UIM out and I saw 2 puddles of coolant sitting at the "green" circle area (I took the pic after I cleaned it. stupid me)

I think the coolant might have came from The infamous hose from the red circle. but seriously I just can't spot any traces of coolant around there.

well, I ordered a new hose just in case and it's coming next week. but what else could have cause that area to have a puddle of coolant.

My build is NA with Turbo housing, I'm fairly sure I push the freeze plug into the hole with silicone and it's tight as a bitch ...

IF, just saying if it's the freeze plug leaking, would that area have a puddle of water ?

Oh also, Again my build is NA with Street ported Turbo Housing by BDC, shit is loud... and do I need to up the idle to 1K or more so it will not stall? cuz it seems that it's having a hard time idling anything less than 1.2K or so, after warm up, if I leave it as is, it will stall.

Thank you for reading.

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1338680165

Any time that I've found coolant in the two green circled areas, it was coming from the rear iron nipple. You probably need to inspect that hose a bit more.

You might be right, cuz after I room the picture, I reseat that tube, the leak is still happening but at a much slower rate.

Will keep checking. Thx

Are the rotor housings turbo or n/a?

Turbo.

So I'm wondering if it's really the Freeze plug (to block the coolant passage) not sealing correctly ... cuz all I see are 2 puddles of coolant at the green circle location (on top of the rear rotor housing) and nowhere else ...

and it's stupid loud, especially at lower rpm (700-1.1K) lol I wonder if a Street port Engine are all like that

The lower manifold has 2 O rings in between the manifold and the Keg.It most likely is that.
The puddle will form in the little nook under your Bigger circle.
look up part # 13-100J or 8527-13-100J (section 1300 in the parts manual) .
www.foxed.ca has the parts manual you can see it there.

Mine is Turbo Housing on NA. and those 2 holes are sealed with freeze plugs (supposedly)

if it's the rear iron hose leaking then it's easy fix.

but if it's the freeze plugs not sealing correctly ... what should I do? I don't "feel like" to yank the engine out and re-do everything ...

The rear iron has freeze plugs at the back of the iron.You would get a hint that they are leaking by popping the inspection rubber plug at the bottom of the bell housing.If it leaks there then you know something is up.
Dropping the trans would be an idea to get at them,rather than yanking the engine,but really it is your choice..That is IF it is the problem.
Oh,there is also a coolant line nipple(small hose) at the top of the iron.check that too.
you can get at it by removing the upper manifold.You should be able to see it clearly.

i know the rear iron has freeze plugs, but my point is that if it's leaking there, I should not see 2 puddles of coolant at the green circle area.

So it's either the rear iron pipe at top (or the hose) leaking, or the rear housing's coolant passage freeze plugs (cuz I use Turbo housing instead of NA) leaking.

Either way I ordered a new coolant hose already for the top of the rear iron and new hose clamp, fingers cross. will know in a few days. Thx :)

you don't need to pull the motor out to fix the LIM to housing leak.


but if you want to be sure, just plug off the 2 thermowax coolant lines and pressurize the system to verify where the leaks are coming from. almost always when that cavity is filled it is from the LIM to block and your freeze plug in that passage probably failed.

+1

Probably, Hmm, I guess I will go loan a coolant system pressurize tool at autozone tomorrow.

assume it is the freeze plug not doing it's job, I should dig it back out and install a new one, right ? if I need to do that, How can I dig the freeze plug back out from the hole? I hammered it in with a socket with some silicone, pretty tight. Break out my drill ? I don't want to kill my housing, it's brand new :(

tap it on the edge, it will start to roll, grab the exposed edge with some pliers and pull it out.

problem with freeze plugs in there is that it is a cast round pocket and not very true. apply some silicone to the o-ring and gasket to help prevent future leaks.

I did put some silicone there when I install the freeze plug. guess the silicone wasn't "even" and ... :(

O-ring? I need to put an o-ring in there before I install the freeze plug ? Thinking I will re-use the freeze plug (if I can dig it out without destroying it), a whole glob of silicone with freeze plug should be fine right ?

TII housings have a cutout for an o-ring to inset into the LIM gasket, a rather necessary part if the freeze plug leaks eventually.

silicone should work but no, it isn't ideal. silicone is actually corrosive on steel parts and will rust it possibly causing premature leaks.

alternately just find a rubber cork at your hardware store that fits under the LIM and snugly against the LIM passage.

Oh ok, the gasket set left overs have 2 o rings that looks like will fit that hole.

hmm, corrosive on steels parts ...

Thx for the info :)

Most of my friends have told me horror stories about those freeze plugs not sealing. I installed them but also ran the o-rings just to be safe. I am running a TII block as a n/a.

I'm also running TII block as N/A

Ok, my shit is still leaking, I removed the plug, used some silicone as lube,installed new one, it looks like it's tight as a bitch.

but now, still leaking.

the O-ring you speak of, do u put them on top of the freeze plugs, like "sandwich" between the plug and the LIM, or do you put them behind the freeze plugs ?

the reason I ask is because when I took the freeze plug out, I felt the housing with my finger, it seems that if I stick a O-ring behind it, it will not hold cuz it's chamfer in housing hole ?

Now I'm waiting for the engine to cool off. damn I hate taking the UIM/LIM out like 15 million times just to fix this, Should have got the N/A housing back then.

Ok, after I looked at the parts diagram for the Turbo Intake Manifold, I think I get what you mean by the 2 o-rings. It's sandwich between the housing/freeze plugs and the LIM gasket.

I'm gonna try to find that o-ring. the Engine gasket kit should have it, right ? I remember I still have a whole bunch of unused o-ring.

Should... Yes.

Yep, I just removed everything and yea, the freeze plug is leaking again. The housing probably has a scratch somewhere, that's why the freeze plug doesn't seal.

I checked the gasket kit, well I bought the NA gasket kit so ... no it doesn't have it.

MY SOLUTION : I put a whole glob of Silicone there to completely cover the freeze plug ... That should do the trick. Gonna wait 24 hours for it to cure.

Oh, my bad. I thought you were referring to the two little o-rings. Hope your solution works!

I hope so, I waited 4 hours then I put the car back together and moved it out to the streets. will see if it seals in 24 hours.

FWIW I thought everyone knew this...
 

http://www.permatex.com/products/aut..._1_Sealant.htm
http://www.permatex.com/images/Displ...otos/80007.jpg

http://www.truckline.com.au/Media/Ga...ngSelector.pdf

lol ! well, I used the Black stuff , covered the whole freeze plug with it. gonna check for leaks later today.