Mysterious coolant leak... oh noes

So... I have a strange coolant leak. It's not coming from the hoses. I lifted the car on stands, and if I squeeze the hose that comes out of the water pump, I see it leaking like, behind the harmonic balancer.

However, up top, I don't see where the mating surfaces for the water pump are wet. Should I pull it and re-seat? Could it be a freeze plug? Am I screwed?


Thoughts, gents?

Check for leak coming out of the water pump weep holes. They are located on the water pump close to the pully shaft. Follow the pully shaft to the pump housing look for little round hole. There should be one on top and one on bottom. When coolant is leaking from these holes the insides of the water pump are going bad.

Yep, weep hole is a good guess. Water pump time.

Better design than my stupid Dodge that leaked from the shaft and spun coolant everywhere....

I hope it's the water pump. That stupid thing has lifetime replacement. Will check it out.

scoffman wrote:

Check for leak coming out of the water pump weep holes. They are located on the water pump close to the pully shaft. Follow the pully shaft to the pump housing look for little round hole. There should be one on top and one on bottom. When coolant is leaking from these holes the insides of the water pump are going bad.

+1

My brothers '93 did that two weeks ago. Brand new pump too.

Okay, I can't see anything coming from the weep hole(s?). I DO see, when under the car and it's running, coolant coming from the gasket that is behind the harmonic balancer.

So... timing cover gasket? I don't understand, that doesn't make sense to me.

Sounds like it could be coming out of the back end of the pump drive, then running down the front cover.

unless you have a pinhole leak in one of the heater hoses that is streaming right at the front cover.

No heater hoses at all, so that can't be it. I think your first idea is on the money.

Guess it's time to pull the pump and take it back to Retard Auto Parts.


Good thing it has a lifetime warranty.

Unfortunately most retard auto parts places only recognize that lifetime warranty on the first part purchased. Hope the replacement doesn't fail too.

scoffman wrote:

Unfortunately most retard auto parts places only recognize that lifetime warranty on the first part purchased. Hope the replacement doesn't fail too.

Autozone is good about honoring lifetime warranties....most likely because all their crap fails so often....

Okay, took the pump off.


You know the plate on the back that covers the innards of the WP?

All but ONE of those bolts were loose. I could have probably just used some loctite and put it back together, but I figure, with a lifetime warranty, I'm not taking that risk. Returned and got a new pump.


Waiting for the new black paint on it to dry, then it'll go back in, and hopefully I'll be set!

loctite the little bolts now.....

I would have tightened the bolts & put the wp back on. They are a crapshoot, and you had yourself one with known good bearings & seals.

Maybe... it spun alot easier and freer than the new pump though, which I took as a bad sign, so I let them keep it.

At least it was the pump and not the intake or timing cover causing the issue. You'll have it fixed in no time!

Intake's already been done. Not again... *shudder*

yaaay solved before I even saw the thread, lol

All back together. Runs great, new PS pump works, new alternator works, new water pump works.

Life is good over here.

Also, decided to paint the WP this time. Last time it rusted SO QUICKLY...

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Rust? They are aluminum.
.
.
Oh... wait...

jimbeau wrote:

Rust? They are aluminum.
.
.
Oh... wait...

go back to sleep jimbeau, it's not an lt1......Ray's not old enough yet for one

Ray is wise beyond his years!He could handle a LT-1 just fine as long as the roads dry!

Wet roads = more fun!

Wet roads mean tow truck for you young man!

They haven't yet.

Last time they meant parking lot donuts.


...and the time before that, they meant four-wheel drift in front of campus.


Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Sad to say, my WP died and left me stranded 400 mi from home last monday. This is the third WP in the 8 years i own the wagon. The first lasted 90.000mi, the second 29.000 and the third 32.000mi. Until now, i just replaced it with an "aftermarket" pump from Autozone / O' Reilly's.
I bought a new Edelbrock pump now. Hope it last a lot longer.
Pete.

Vic is always saying that"its made in america"so I hope this one last another 100,000 kilometers!

Replaced the water pump, but the temperature is still way to high sitting at idle. Turned out that the fan clutch died. You could spin it by hand easely. Put a new one on (man, are they expensive) and a new belt tensioner in the process. Now the starter motor died.......
Is this my bad luck month?

I'm getting a small leak, from what looks like the weep holes, on my LO5 93 Fleetwood. Unfortunately, I have almost no tools at my Florida house, so tomorrow it is going to a local trusted shop. Here is my question- I've never put a water pump in either a LT-1 or LO5. Is the labor time going to be less for the LO5? I know they are the same basic engine, but that the LT--1 is more complicated.

The water pump is super easy on a TBI motor. Take the belt and fan off, 4 bolts on the pump and put it all back. Im sure you could buy a cheapo small ratchet set and do it yourself for alot less money. Then have some tools at your FL home.