I've had a coolant leak for a while. I had a leaky radiator and I replaced that, and I'm pretty sure it's not the hoses, I checked them when I replaced the radiator and they're completely dry.

I was talking to a co-worker who also had a coolant leak and he said he knew it was the water pump because it would leak more or less depending on how warm or cold it is outside. (He didn't remember which)

It's been pretty cold here lately and I've been having to fill up my coolant almost every time I go somewhere. I tried to look for the source of the leak today, but it wasn't leaking at all, even after I left it running for a good 30 minutes. Today it happens to be a lot warmer than it has been.

Also, most of the leaked coolant seems to be right under the water pump. I couldn't find anything about water pumps leaking more or less depending on temperature, could this be the case?

As a side note, I noticed some steam coming from the exhaust pipe before it splits... is that normal?

 

The water pump has a weep hole directly below the pulley. If the internal seal has failed, you will see coolant leak from this point. If you have a leak at the gasket between the water pump housing and front iron, you'll get a little coolant trail around the base of the engine, near the MOP or oil cooler lines.

I'm not sure where you're talking about with the steam question. At the y-pipe?

 

pressure test the system! auto zone has a coolant tester, i have a feeling if you cant see the coolant leaking but you have less and less, its going in the engine. thats what happened to mine tonight, and then it started idling horribly, trying to die. my engine is done, im gonna need a rebuild because of the coolant seals in my engine are done cause i let the stock gauge get past hot when i was refilling coolant after i replaced the radiator, improper steps cost me!

 

Sears Auto Centers also pressure test cooling systems for free as well if that is a better option for you.

 

So I've just pretty much been ignoring the problem. It's a bad habit I have...

So what I've been doing is thinking the water pump's been leaking and filling up from the radiator, because the low coolant alarm keeps going off.

I finally figured out that the coolant system isn't actually leaking, I think, because the level in the coolant reservoir isn't going down. In fact, it's been spitting out excess coolant (water, recently). So I guess that means there's a problem with either the thermostat or the low coolant sensor/alarm, the temperature gauge acts normally though.

However, I've been having problems with the engine lately, where it takes forever to start (~ 20 seconds or so - I've also only recently learned that it's a bad idea to crank without starting for that long. >_<) if it's already hot but if it's cold then it usually immediately, if a little roughly, and it almost acts like it's been flooded or something, like I have to burn off something extra for a minute and then it sounds and acts more normally. If I rev it up higher upon starting, (sometimes?) I get a lot of blueish burning-oil-smelling smoke. It's also been idling higher, like ~1200 rpm until it gets up to operating temp.

I talked to a guy who has an FB and recently replaced his water pump, and he said that the bad water pump's causing those symptoms and I definitely need to replace it, so that's what I'm going to do, using this writeup:

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-gen-archive-72/tips-water-pump-replacement-documentation-writeup-485755/

I just wanted to confirm the diagnosis, and I also wanted to know what part of the water pump is failing, and how it causes those symptoms.

Also - is it worth it to order a new or more expensive pump like these one:
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/de...MB1452070.html
http://atkinsrotary.com/store/catalo...0-p-16536.html

or a much cheaper one, like these:
http://www.oakale.com/products/Beck-...0PO1CLJ99.html
http://www.amazingsavingsautoparts.c...tem&id=7146272
http://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts/...90&fp=pp&gbm=a

although that last one claims it's new.

Thanks!

 

Oh..I don't like this..
Ignoring a coolant leak?..that is Bad.
Now,you say that it is hard to start and won't hold coolant?like it spits it out?
Guess what?,your Bad habit may have cost ya a engine.(blown coolant seal).Rebuild may be in your future.
My guess anyways,.Let's see what others have to say.

 

I thought there was a leak before because the buzzer went off all the time, so I would constantly put more in but all I was doing was adding more than it needed so it just spit it back out.

Now I'm fairly certain now that there's no actual leak since the level in the reservoir isn't going down...

It's only hard to start when it's already hot.