Need help figuring out coolant leak!
03-13-13, 01:06 AM
#1
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Need help figuring out coolant leak!
Okay so I have a leak right below the water pump. It looks like its coming from under the pulley on the water pump.
Some background info.
- Car broke a coolant hose under the oil filter.
- Replaced the hose. added coolant
- Now it has a leak below the water pump pulley.
- Is it coincidence that this is all happening together. Or is it cavitation? I bled the system pretty good.
Car has 185K miles on a 1988 GXL Model with original engine and no rebuild. No mods. All belts.
Is it possible for that front housing to get a fracture? It looks like a crack or a line next to the most bottom water pump bolt.
HERES A PIC!
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Some background info.
- Car broke a coolant hose under the oil filter.
- Replaced the hose. added coolant
- Now it has a leak below the water pump pulley.
- Is it coincidence that this is all happening together. Or is it cavitation? I bled the system pretty good.
Car has 185K miles on a 1988 GXL Model with original engine and no rebuild. No mods. All belts.
Is it possible for that front housing to get a fracture? It looks like a crack or a line next to the most bottom water pump bolt.
HERES A PIC!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
03-13-13, 02:47 AM
#2
Most likely the leak is coming from the weep hole on the water pump itself. This indicates you need a new water pump.
It could also be the gasket on the water pump, or the gasket between the block and waterpump housing. But those generally do not fail unless they are disturbed.
Often on high mile motors you will see one hose bust, then another and another, and the root cause is the beginning of a coolant seal failure. The failure begins small and generates a bit of extra pressure, which finds the weakest point and blows it open. Then when you fix that, the extra pressure finds the next weakest point...and on and on. You find yourself chasing "leaks" that are being caused by high system pressures due to compression pressure getting into the system.
Perhaps it is as simple as a leaky water pump or gasket, though. You don't know until you try.
It could also be the gasket on the water pump, or the gasket between the block and waterpump housing. But those generally do not fail unless they are disturbed.
Often on high mile motors you will see one hose bust, then another and another, and the root cause is the beginning of a coolant seal failure. The failure begins small and generates a bit of extra pressure, which finds the weakest point and blows it open. Then when you fix that, the extra pressure finds the next weakest point...and on and on. You find yourself chasing "leaks" that are being caused by high system pressures due to compression pressure getting into the system.
Perhaps it is as simple as a leaky water pump or gasket, though. You don't know until you try.
03-13-13, 12:14 PM
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Most likely the leak is coming from the weep hole on the water pump itself. This indicates you need a new water pump.
It could also be the gasket on the water pump, or the gasket between the block and waterpump housing. But those generally do not fail unless they are disturbed.
Often on high mile motors you will see one hose bust, then another and another, and the root cause is the beginning of a coolant seal failure. The failure begins small and generates a bit of extra pressure, which finds the weakest point and blows it open. Then when you fix that, the extra pressure finds the next weakest point...and on and on. You find yourself chasing "leaks" that are being caused by high system pressures due to compression pressure getting into the system.
Perhaps it is as simple as a leaky water pump or gasket, though. You don't know until you try.
It could also be the gasket on the water pump, or the gasket between the block and waterpump housing. But those generally do not fail unless they are disturbed.
Often on high mile motors you will see one hose bust, then another and another, and the root cause is the beginning of a coolant seal failure. The failure begins small and generates a bit of extra pressure, which finds the weakest point and blows it open. Then when you fix that, the extra pressure finds the next weakest point...and on and on. You find yourself chasing "leaks" that are being caused by high system pressures due to compression pressure getting into the system.
Perhaps it is as simple as a leaky water pump or gasket, though. You don't know until you try.
I will be tackling this project this weekend. It looks fairly simple. LOOKSWISE, then i started reading about eshaft getting messed up if the clutch isnt pressed down while unbolting, things got confusing.
03-13-13, 12:16 PM
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If I am understanding this right. DO NOT REMOVE the pulley on the waterpump itself?
Clokker, timing? is this not a simple, remove pump, put on new pump, belts bada bing bada boom?
Seems like theres more to it than that...
I may be in too deep this time. I have done water pumps on hondas and other engines. Never a Rotary.
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03-13-13, 12:17 PM
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BTW the 2nd Gen community is very fast to respond. You guys are all appreciated and awesome.
Purchasing a new pump for $50 shipped via Rockauto.com the brand is Gates.
Purchasing a new pump for $50 shipped via Rockauto.com the brand is Gates.
03-13-13, 12:36 PM
#9
Don't be discouraged, it's super easy replacing the water pump.
They are referring to the MAIN pulley, if you look you will see that it needs to be removed in order to pull the water pump. The timing marks clokker mentioned are on the Main Pulley. (which I'm confused about your comment clokker, the main pulley can only mount on one way?) bumpstarts advice is excellent, instead of fully removing the main pulley leave one bolt in and swing it out of the way.
I wish I had done this when I changed mine the first time, as mentioned previously the main pulley mounts on one way and one way only because the bolt holes are just a little out of line. It's a huuuuuuuuge pain to get it lined up right and leaving one bolt in does the work for you.
They are referring to the MAIN pulley, if you look you will see that it needs to be removed in order to pull the water pump. The timing marks clokker mentioned are on the Main Pulley. (which I'm confused about your comment clokker, the main pulley can only mount on one way?) bumpstarts advice is excellent, instead of fully removing the main pulley leave one bolt in and swing it out of the way.
I wish I had done this when I changed mine the first time, as mentioned previously the main pulley mounts on one way and one way only because the bolt holes are just a little out of line. It's a huuuuuuuuge pain to get it lined up right and leaving one bolt in does the work for you.
03-13-13, 01:56 PM
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Don't be discouraged, it's super easy replacing the water pump.
They are referring to the MAIN pulley, if you look you will see that it needs to be removed in order to pull the water pump. The timing marks clokker mentioned are on the Main Pulley. (which I'm confused about your comment clokker, the main pulley can only mount on one way?) bumpstarts advice is excellent, instead of fully removing the main pulley leave one bolt in and swing it out of the way.
I wish I had done this when I changed mine the first time, as mentioned previously the main pulley mounts on one way and one way only because the bolt holes are just a little out of line. It's a huuuuuuuuge pain to get it lined up right and leaving one bolt in does the work for you.
They are referring to the MAIN pulley, if you look you will see that it needs to be removed in order to pull the water pump. The timing marks clokker mentioned are on the Main Pulley. (which I'm confused about your comment clokker, the main pulley can only mount on one way?) bumpstarts advice is excellent, instead of fully removing the main pulley leave one bolt in and swing it out of the way.
I wish I had done this when I changed mine the first time, as mentioned previously the main pulley mounts on one way and one way only because the bolt holes are just a little out of line. It's a huuuuuuuuge pain to get it lined up right and leaving one bolt in does the work for you.
03-13-13, 04:08 PM
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Yes,the 4 bolt pattern on the Main pulley is not fully a "square pattern".It is a little offset.
WHY?so you do not put the Pulley on the Eshafft and have it Whack the timing out by say 90 degrees.
Having the pulley go on so that the bolts and holes of the pulley will correspond to the Bolt pattern on the Eshaft hub Makes sure that the Pulley gets put on Correctly,every time.
If you remove the pulley all together,then I have a small tip for you.
Set the pulleys on a table and get all the Holes to line up.Then take a small scribe and Make a line,on all pulleys so that you know the whole set is the same,and the holes are not out of whack.
If the line is straight,then the pulleys are all together correctly and the holes are "through".
Then when you put a bolt in,you can easily put the rest of the bolts in too.
WHY?so you do not put the Pulley on the Eshafft and have it Whack the timing out by say 90 degrees.
Having the pulley go on so that the bolts and holes of the pulley will correspond to the Bolt pattern on the Eshaft hub Makes sure that the Pulley gets put on Correctly,every time.
If you remove the pulley all together,then I have a small tip for you.
Set the pulleys on a table and get all the Holes to line up.Then take a small scribe and Make a line,on all pulleys so that you know the whole set is the same,and the holes are not out of whack.
If the line is straight,then the pulleys are all together correctly and the holes are "through".
Then when you put a bolt in,you can easily put the rest of the bolts in too.
03-13-13, 06:08 PM
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the reason why you have to remove the main pulley is that it interferes with the pump pulley.
In order to get the Pump off you have to take the Pump pulley off.Without taking the pump pulley off you cannot access all the Pump bolts.
In order to get the pump pulley off you have to remove or as Bumpstart said remove 3 main pulley bolts on just leave on one bolt and "finesse" the pump pulley off.
But really if you have 3 bolts out,take the whole main pulley assembly off and get better working room.
I do what Clokker does.
I line up the main pulley mark and that gives reference to the way the whole main pulley assembly will go back on....Well at least the "main/main pulley".
That is why I align all ahead of time and scribe them,so I am not screwing around with the other ones trying to align the bolt holes.
In order to get the Pump off you have to take the Pump pulley off.Without taking the pump pulley off you cannot access all the Pump bolts.
In order to get the pump pulley off you have to remove or as Bumpstart said remove 3 main pulley bolts on just leave on one bolt and "finesse" the pump pulley off.
But really if you have 3 bolts out,take the whole main pulley assembly off and get better working room.
I do what Clokker does.
I line up the main pulley mark and that gives reference to the way the whole main pulley assembly will go back on....Well at least the "main/main pulley".
That is why I align all ahead of time and scribe them,so I am not screwing around with the other ones trying to align the bolt holes.
Last edited by misterstyx69; 03-13-13 at 06:12 PM.
03-13-13, 09:59 PM
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Thanks again guys. Cleared it up even more for me. Im going to leave the main pulley on and see if I can do it that way with 3 bolts off and sliding it to the side.
If it doesnt work out, ill just remove the whole pulley and marking it first of course.
If it doesnt work out, ill just remove the whole pulley and marking it first of course.
03-14-13, 12:35 PM
#22
i don't know of any paint marks but i can foresee the pulleys being rusted beyond recognition in some harsh winter states and coastal cities.
but i haven't ever come across disfigured pulleys that i couldn't locate the alignments dots on.
the hub also has a notch on the other side of the same hole as the alignment dots on the pulleys pointing you to which hole the dots mate with.
there is no guesswork or spinning pulleys in blind holes. align the stack and put one bolt through and start it into the hub and the rest follow.
but i haven't ever come across disfigured pulleys that i couldn't locate the alignments dots on.
the hub also has a notch on the other side of the same hole as the alignment dots on the pulleys pointing you to which hole the dots mate with.
there is no guesswork or spinning pulleys in blind holes. align the stack and put one bolt through and start it into the hub and the rest follow.
Last edited by RotaryEvolution; 03-14-13 at 12:42 PM.
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