Intermittent Coolant Leak

[stainless1911]

What couple possibly cause this? Yesterday, it would leak from behind the pulleys as I was pouring it in the radiator, went 5 miles, then overheated. Today, I topped it off after again getting it a little too hot, and it ran the rest of the day with only a few drips.

Do I have to pull the engine to change the pump?

Also, its leaking a LOT of oil, but only when I top it off. It sprays all over the engine compartment, bad as I've ever seen, then seems to level off. Trouble is, the oil light keeps coming on in corners.

[georgeb]

Sounds like you might have blown the head gasket from overheating. Spraying oil usually is from the snout seal. You can do the seal when you do the pump. You have a major patch job ahead of you.

[stainless1911]

I didnt see any antifreeze in the oil when I changed it, how can I know for certain before tearing into the engine?

[milehighbear]

Your waterpump has a weep or vent hole in the top just above where the shaft goes into it. If your pump is bad, coolant will leak out this hole. Not knowing what year car yours is I don't know how yours is. I have 93 and I can change my pump without removing whole motor and it only takes about hour and half. I would suggest you read your manual or if you don't have one, get one if your going to keep your car.

[WmWatt]

I'm not familliar with your problem but a compression test can detect a leak in the head gasket between two cyclinders. They will both show lower compression.

I believe it's possible to pressurize the cooling system. On my car I installed one of those garden hose connections for flushing the system. I bet if I connected the garden hose and turned on the tap, water would spray out of any leaks.

[stainless1911]

I think its a 93. I've had 4 of them, same color, an ll manuals, so its easy to lose track.

[JoDan]

The water pump isnt a huge job. Just take the timing covers and belts off, take the bolt out of the motor mount while supported by a jack, lower the motor and either use an impact to take the crank pulley bolt out or put the car in 4th gear, wedge the brake pedal and use a breaker bar. Then take the timing belt off and then do the water pump. Also is your car making any lifter ticking or anything like that because I don't like how it stops shooting oil out and your oil light comes on, you need to find the oil leak pronto.

[stainless1911]

It started "ticking" the other day. The motor has 200k+ on it. Dont know what the tick is yet, but its ticking me off.

Figured I'd put an oil pan gasket, timinbg cover gasket, and a valve cover gasket on it. The engine and engine compartment are soaked. The oil and coolant are getting on the alt belt, and Ive been burning through those monthly. There is literally liquid oil on the hood above the air cleaner housing, and a thick burnt black oily layer of alternator belt all over the passenger side of the compartment. Its a real downer to do any work at all on the car.

[stainless1911]

I dont know exactly where the oil is coming from.

[FestYboy]

ok, you need to change your water pump, there's a walk through on the site if you search (use my SN and waterpump as search criteria). the crank seal MUST be changed as well... that's where the oil leak is comming from (the only seal under pressure). it stops when the oil pump starts sucking air and drops pressure. the light comes on at 6psi and that's DANGEROUSLY low and can cause damage to your engine.

[TominMO]

If you're doing the water pump and front crankshaft seal, you might as well do the camshaft seal too. Very easy and quick.

And just for the heck of it, you might want to do the disty seal as well, also quick and easy. Part #s at NAPA and Carquest end in 72222. Remember to mark the disty and head with a marker so you put the disty back in the exact same location, so timing stays the same.

I'd hold off on the oil pan gasket; it probably isn't an issue. From my experience with my cars, it's the crank seal as Festyboy said.

Maybe someone around you can volunteer to help?

[TominMO]

What could possibly cause this? Yesterday, it would leak from behind the pulleys as I was pouring it in the radiator, went 5 miles, then overheated. Today, I topped it off after again getting it a little too hot, and it ran the rest of the day with only a few drips.

I have seen situations where an old, very slightly cracked hose would not leak when the motor was cold, but when it heats up and therefore the pressure rises in the cooling system, it will leak or even spray water out the little crack. Might simply need to replace a hose. Rad and heater hoses are easy; what often gets overlooked is those two little hoses connected to the intake manifold. Quite often they never get changed in a car's lifetime, but should be changed just as often as the others. I prefer fuel-injection-rated fuel line for this.

[stainless1911]

I wish. I put this engine in the car this spring, so I know it isnt the hoses, its coming off the pulleys, which tells me its the pump.

If someone could help me with this, Id be grateful, never gotten that far into an engine before.

Ive already hurt the motor Im afraid, its ticking now. Cant afford to replace it, just have to patch the leaks and go until it wont I guess.

[georgeb]

The ticking is probably just a dry HLA (hydraulic lash adjuster) that might fix itself. Get a manual for the pump and seal job.

[TominMO]

Everybody is new to a job until they tackle it. Get the Haynes manual and go for it. It's just taking stuff off and putting new stuff back on. Just looking at it will show you what to do. The first time takes twice as long as the second time, because you are learning.