[tamathumper]

+1, that was my problem, the moisture at the leak point evaporated quickly, leaving no sign of where those drops down lower had come from.

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[biosurfer1]

So I pulled the cover off and I didn't see anything (though honestly I'm not sure what I am looking for). I clamped down all of the hose clamps I could find and started the car and there was no change in the leak. It is fine for the first 10-15 seconds then it starts dripping a drop every 2-3 seconds and holds there.



I cleaned the area the best I could and unless I'm missing something, it really looks like there are two leaks, forming at the red seal and the black seal circled in the picture earlier in this thread. What are those seals and do they seal coolant in? If they are just oil seals I'll keep looking but I sure don't see anything flowing from higher up when I clean the area and the drips form again.



Thoughts?

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[tamathumper]

My apologies, I'm trying to get myself oriented to the picture to figure out where those seals are located, but I don't recognize a few of the features shown. In the first pic I recognized the belt cover breather and the power steering pump tensioner, but in the last two I'm struggling.

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[biosurfer1]

All of the pictures are of the same area, just from different angles trying to show a clearer picture. That is not the power steering pump tensioner, that is the lower chassis brace, the power steering pump tensioner is just to the right (out of the picture). Those seals are almost direclty under the water pump. The black seal "looks" like a lower valve cover that goes almost all the way back to the transmission.



I'll see if I can find them in the WSM.

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[biosurfer1]

I'll have to look closer when I get home, but I think that black seal is the oil pan gasket...so I doubt there would be clean coolant flowing out of there

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[flash]

i only see the tensioner in the shot. i do not see the lower brace in any shot. i'm pretty familiar with what it looks like too - lol

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[biosurfer1]

Ya, you're right...got screwed up on pictures.



The black seal is definitely the oil sump gasket so I can rule that out. Just so odd because I cannot see anything flowing down from above it and I would think after cleaning the area, bright green fluid would be easy to spot.

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[flash]

coolant is a weird thing. it's really hard to see, until it forms a drop. this is by design though. it has a very low "stiction" which is how it can pass so well through the tiny capillaries in the radiator.



there are only a few places though that coolant can seep from.



heater control valve

pump

upper neck

black return fitting

fan temp switch

head temp sensor

temp gauge sensor

any of the hoses

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[Lear35A]

The hose clamps circled in red at the ones to tighten. You can't tighten them enough.

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[flash]

tech tip: don't use a screwdriver to tighten hose clamps. use a nutdriver

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[DaveN]

Don't forget to check behind the distributor where the <acronym title='heater control valve'>HCV</acronym> and it's fittings lay.

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[Lear35A]

[quote name='flash' timestamp='1377800020' post='148293']

tech tip: don't use a screwdriver to tighten hose clamps. use a nutdriver

[/quote]

I've noticed that some of the factory hose clamps don't give you that choice. Flat blade screwdriver or nothing. Maybe it's a metric thing.

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[tamathumper]

If I know the ones you're talking about, they are a slotted circular affair with a ring that goes all the way around the screw head (including around the ends of the slots). They're more recessed and much more slip-resistant than the general hardware store variety. I recently discovered that my 6-way screwdriver fits the head of most hose clamps quite nicely. (A 6-way screwdriver is one where the shaft comes out of the handle and reverses, and at each end of the reversible shaft is a slotted/phillips reversible head as well). I just pop out the larger of the two bits and the shaft has a hex-shaped hole that fits the hose clamps.

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[flash]

i have gotten rid of all but one of the enclosed type factory clamps - they suck

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[robbgerard]

[quote name='flash' timestamp='1377805349' post='148313']

i have gotten rid of all but one of the enclosed type factory clamps - they suck

[/quote]



+1 on that - I replaced the blue hose from the brake/clutch fluid reservoir to the clutch master cylinder last week and those clamps were terrible to work with (remove) in tight spaces without breaking stuff.

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[biosurfer1]

Those are the clamps I tightened down. I used a screw driver but I'll do them again with the nut driver. It can't hurt but I'm pretty sure those aren't the culprit here.



Is there a way to get the rear timing cover off? I got the front cover off so I can see all the belts and rollers (all dry by the way) but with that back cover on, I can't see the mating of the water pump, etc to see if something is running down. I looked every place I could get to with the cover off and there isn't any wetness to speak of so It's got to be behind the rear cover.

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[flash]

sounds like water pump

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[biosurfer1]

any way to get to it without tearing everything apart to check and make sure? The damn thing was changed in November by the <acronym title='previous owner'>PO</acronym>'s mechanic who I don't trust so I wouldn't be surprised.

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[flash]

not that i know of. sounds like either a failed rebuilt part, or a bad installation.

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[Kim]

Check to see if you have a radiator for a tip car in 6-speed. If you do, on the top to the left as you face the front of the car, is a small nipple that supplies water to a transmission cooler that you don't have on a 6-speed.. The nipple is covered with a black cap and held on with a clamp. If the cap cracks you will spray coolant everywhere. You should check since some places that sell replacement rads only sell the tip ones (they fit both) and simply cover the nipple with a plastic plug. Works just fine until it cracks.

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