Mystery coolant leak...
04-09-2011, 07:44 PM
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Mystery coolant leak... So a few weeks ago I was running the Bird for a while, and I noticed a coolant leak. I had it backed up on ramps and was checking out the rear suspension when I smelled coolant...I looked toward the front of the car, and drip, drip, drip...right down the front of the oil pan it looked like. I looked under the hood and everything higher than the waterpump looked dry, so I figured it must be the WP. No big deal I thought, it's got 105k. The one on my GTA went out at like 70k, and the one on my Jeep went out at 125k, and then again at 150k (cheap pump apparently...luckily they're only 30 bucks).
So today I was going to change the waterpump/hoses/t-stat, but after doing a little more checking, it seems like the pump is fine. Before I did anything I removed the belt and checked the pulley. It spins freely with no noise, and it doesn't wobble at all, so that tells me the bearings are good. On my Jeep the bearings were toasted when the pump went out, the shaft had a ton of play in it. So that got me thinking maybe it's not the pump.
Put the belt on and let the car run for 45 minutes, no leaks. Checked the coolant, it was full, a nice orange color, and not gunky looking. Let it run on and off for a few hours, no leaks.
I'm going to keep an eye on it, because it must have been SOMETHING.
Anyone have any guesses?
So today I was going to change the waterpump/hoses/t-stat, but after doing a little more checking, it seems like the pump is fine. Before I did anything I removed the belt and checked the pulley. It spins freely with no noise, and it doesn't wobble at all, so that tells me the bearings are good. On my Jeep the bearings were toasted when the pump went out, the shaft had a ton of play in it. So that got me thinking maybe it's not the pump.
Put the belt on and let the car run for 45 minutes, no leaks. Checked the coolant, it was full, a nice orange color, and not gunky looking. Let it run on and off for a few hours, no leaks.
I'm going to keep an eye on it, because it must have been SOMETHING.
Anyone have any guesses?
04-09-2011, 07:49 PM
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could be because of the higher stress summer heat conditions it will boil more, traffic etc, could be the gaskets. mine was the same area, right underneath the black bell pulley; replaced... n maybe find one with a warranty?
04-09-2011, 07:58 PM
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I dunno. It was only in the 40's the day I noticed the leak, it was just running in the driveway. I don't think I had started it in about 3 weeks at that point, I actually had to jump it as the batt was a little too flat to turn it over.
I pickup up a new pump from Advance, it's a lifetime pump.
Even if I do end up changing it, I'm going to bring that pump back and exchange it for another one. As I turn the pulley on the new pump, I can here a metalic griding noise as it hits a certain spot. It sounds like the machinging isn't perfect and the impeller is rubbing against the pump. I guess it would just self clearance after a while, but then that gives me metal dust circulating in the coolant.
I pickup up a new pump from Advance, it's a lifetime pump.
Even if I do end up changing it, I'm going to bring that pump back and exchange it for another one. As I turn the pulley on the new pump, I can here a metalic griding noise as it hits a certain spot. It sounds like the machinging isn't perfect and the impeller is rubbing against the pump. I guess it would just self clearance after a while, but then that gives me metal dust circulating in the coolant.
