Bill started backing the car down the driveway on your way to church. You noticed something, liquid, on the driveway. You made him stop the car, and then you two got out and walked up the driveway to where the 'green stuff' was. "What is that green stuff on the driveway, and where is it coming from?" you ask. You have coolant leaking from your car. Sometimes a water hose will create a hole and cause coolant to leak out. Sometimes a hose clamp will lose its strength and let coolant seep past. Sometimes a thermostat or water pump gasket will leak. There are several places, or parts, which can go bad and let coolant get by. Today we will look at coolant leaking from the front of the engine. It looks as though it's coming from the water pump, but it could be the lower radiator hose, or clamp. Take a small mirror and hold it under the water pump, if you can get to it. There is a small hole on the bottom of the water pump...it's called a *weep* hole. Actually it is a hole in the casting of the water pump to let coolant escape when the seal inside the water pump deteriorates. Coolant leaks from this little hole to let you know that the seal has gone bad. Without coolant leaking here, you would not know that the seal has gone out and coolant would get to the bearing on the pump shaft and ruin the bearing. If the bearing gets coolant inside, it will destroy the grease and cause the ball-bearings to run hot...metal-to-metal. Not good. Then the pump shaft will break-off and cause a whole lot of trouble...like the fan going into the radiator...unless you have an electric fan. Aren't you glad that little hole is there? |
