30th t/a

iTrader: (51)

I notched out the very top of my radiator for my intercooler pipe that goes to the MAF, and I ended up getting a small hole at the top of the radiator. I get it fixed and install the radiator. I start the car and start filling up the radiator with water and everything is fine, after about 5 minutes and the temp is at 210* going by the stock gauge, then all I see is a stream of water that looks like its coming from the water pump down onto the timing cover & stock pulley. I have no idea what happened. I had no previous leaks before any of this. The water pump isnt making any noise either.

Any ideas?

99monguse

It is common for leaks to begin once the original Dexcool has been flushed out; it happened to my 1998 Z28. I had the coolant flushed since the car is a 1998 (DEXCOOL is "LIFETIME" but really is supppose to be flushed at 100,000 miles OR 6 yrs) and right after the coolant flush my water pump began to leak. I had to replace the waterpump, which was like $300.00 for an OEM unit.

30th t/a

iTrader: (51)

so your thinking they flushed my radiator out and now that I dont have Dexcool in there, that caused the pump to start leaking?

joshp14

iTrader: (5)

Probably the weep hole on the bottom of the pump. Seen it tons of times and you probably made it happen sooner doing work on the cooling system...you must have lodged something loose in there.

99monguse

My Z28 is completely stock other then the catback exhaust. All I know is that I never had any problems before the coolant flush and within two days of having the flush the car began to stink of coolant and then the pump began to leak. What I am thinking is that the Dexcool caused damage to either the pump or the gasket in my case and when the old coolant was flushed gasket material that was damaged must have come loose or something. I am not saying that just replacing DEXCOOL with regular coolant will cause leaks. I had all the old coolant flushed, not just the radiator.