[biosurfer1]

So my annoying drip has turned into a rather bad leak. I had some time to take off the lower engine pan and take a closer look. There was quite a bit of coolant pooled in the pan and I could see some drips pointed to in the pictures below. With the car running, I was getting several drips...so much so that I don't want to drive the car until I get this fixed. I'm not sure how to diagnose what the problem is.It has gotten worse in the past couple weeks.



I took the car back to the mechanic that changed the pump/belts back in November by the <acronym title='previous owner'>PO</acronym> a few weeks ago and at that time, he said the water pump was dry as a bone. I'm not sure if I trust this mechanic though.



If the drips were forming as shown in the picture, where should I look first. Is there a procedure of figuring out where the leak is coming from?



Thanks guys!



   

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[MB968]

Here's one place to check. I had a problem with the black plastic piece (just above the shown area of the engine) leaking. And, I've seen a couple of other comments/problems with this same part. Replacement part and o-ring are fairly cheap and easy to replace. It is part #7 in the water pump parts diagram. It seals with an o-ring, but my part had a hairline crack.

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[tamathumper]

I had a drip from two places in the past, both of which were simple fixes - tightening the hose clamps. The first was where the large end of the lower radiator hose connects to the water pump, and the second was just above that, where the little hose from the heater control valve also connects to the water pump. Both were a bit difficult to locate as they were dripping from "behind" the hose and were not visible when looking down past the distributor cap.

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[biosurfer1]

MB...are you talking about 6 and 7 in this diagram?



   

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[tamathumper]

Yes, he is.

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[Lear35A]

I'm with Tama based on my experience. Tighten the two hose clamps on the water pump at tightly as you can. High probability that will take care of that.

The o-ring (pos 6) should have been changed with a new water pump, but if it's old and cracked could also be a source. First though, check the torques on bolts 9. Should be 7 ft.lbs.

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[biosurfer1]

Thanks guys...this has been a thorn in my otherwise great 968 since I bought it back in May!

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[Rap]

I had the same problem as Tama. Now fixed twice. Perhaps it wasn't well fixed the first time!

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[Inkedupfatboy]

I jut blew a clamp off my system, I wonder if it was this one...

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[tamathumper]

I just replaced the large lower radiator hose a few months ago, and it was much "firmer" and seemed a little shorter than the original. I had a bit of a time getting it onto the water pump and getting the hose clamp tightened.



A couple weeks ago, when I was working on something else, I noticed it was "walking" off the water pump, by a good 1/4" or more. I had to work pretty hard to get it repositioned on the pump and get the hose clamp tightened again. I'm keeping an eye on it.

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[Inkedupfatboy]

Well, back in April when my guy first had the car, I asked him to replace all the coolant line hoses..he inspected them and felt they were fine. Last week, I was driving about 55-60 mph and one let go, coolant everywhere. Just barely made it to the wife's office just as the temp gauge spiked. I was able to go get her car and go get my truck and trailer.

Well guess what....he is replacing every rubber hose on the coolant system now.

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[fleetwood]

if you have a telescoping dentist-type mirror and a telescoping flashlight, from the top side of the car you'll be able to see under/around the water pump and ID any leaks coming from it or connections thereto.

Coolant would be accumulating on the underside of the water pump -- which you can see with a mirror.



Another source may be the plastic housing of the radiator (where the lower hose from the water pump connects) may be cracked.

If that's the case, it means new radiator.



I've had to replace all of these this year (water pump, <acronym title='heater control valve'>HCV</acronym>, radiator, hoses)

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[biosurfer1]

So I checked out the parts that Tama mentioned earlier and it was dry. I took another look and it actually appears to be forming at the two seals in the picture. The large black one and the smaller red (atv?) one just above it. It also appears that there seems to be two leaks, one at each seal.



It also looks like the large black seal could be leaking all the way towards the transmission, but that could be leftover coolant flung that direction last time I drove it.



Is it possible those seals would be leaking coolant? I have not had a chance to research those seals yet. Here are some clearer pictures I took after running the car to watch the drips form:



   

   

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[JWahlsten]

That sure looks to me like it's from the pump area. Might be worth pulling the covers to check behind them since you're not seeing anything obvious out front. Fluids like to travel especially when you drive.

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[ds968]

But the pumps tend to leak more right after you turn off the engine, than while you're driving..

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[Lear35A]

these are leaks coming from above. Have you checked the hose clamps? To me this is still the most likely culprit.

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[JWahlsten]

Yeah, what Lear said. Check all of those first, but where the drips are I would look at the front of the engine... Do the covers after you check the clamps.

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[biosurfer1]

I went through every clamp I could see and they all were dry. I took a paper towel and rubbed all the way around since I didn't have a telescoping mirror. I agree that it's probably a hose clamp since the drips don't start to get worse until the car has been running a bit...to me, that points to the cooling system since it is pressurized.



I'll take off the covers tonight and see what I find. Is there a write up someplace on how to do that? I'm sure I can fumble my way there but directions always make things go easier.

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[tamathumper]

No instructions, it's fairly straightforward. There are a number of bolts around the periphery, and two longer ones right in the middle of the two halves. The hardest to reach is probably the one tucked in under the distributor housing - right above where your leak is located.

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[Lear35A]

Coolant runs downhill away from the leak point on the hose. The residue at the leak point evaporates quickly. The area appears dry. Have you tried actually tightening the clamps or just inspecting? Both clamps are easy to get to. Just do it (and hope this is the problem. Other coolant leak sources aren't so easily fixed.)

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