• The site migration is complete! Hopefully everything transferred properly from the multiple decades old software we were using before. If you notice any issues please let me know, thanks! Also, I'm still working on things like chatbox, etc so hopefully those will be working in the next week or two.

Coolant leak behind crank

JaredR215

JaredR215

New member
I need some help here. I've always had a small drip from the passenger side. Tonight I went out and it was pretty much draining my coolant. It's a 98 Gtp. I checked the elbow and it's all dry. Basically from the water pump up is dry aside from the coolant being flung all over. It's pooling up and dripping down out of where I believe my motor mount is. Behind the crank seems all gunked up. Water pump pulley has a bit of play to it. Not much though.
 


Sounds like the pump is leaking. The weep hole is on the bottom of the pump IIRC, so it would run down and collect in the mount and run out. See if you can get an inspection mirror under the pump and look for a trail of dried up coolant (will most likely be white in color). Or try getting it up to full temp and then pop the hood to see if you can locate the leak. Sometimes they will also show up once the car is shut down. Found my rad. leak that way.
 
Hmmm let's figure this one out. There's only a few places for a leak in that area, all are right by the water pump and that height of the motor.

First the pump. Weep hole on the bottom. Gasket behind it


Bolt holes. I know the bottom right two that hold the crank sensor are not in the cooling passage, however many others are. When putting a timing cover on, you should put teflon paste on the bolts.


The cover to block gasket. At the two upper holes, is where the coolant flows through the cover and into the motor.


Those are you possible leak points.
 
or the coolant elbows are leaking. you have 2, a upper one you can see, and the lower one thats buried.


you say yours is a 98 so you have a cast lower elbow, (its part of the alt bracket) the O ring fails on that.
 
Scottydoggs said:
or the coolant elbows are leaking. you have 2, a upper one you can see, and the lower one thats buried.


you say yours is a 98 so you have a cast lower elbow, (its part of the alt bracket) the O ring fails on that.
Click to expand...

How would I go about checking that one? I know my upper one is good.
 


heres a how to. http://www.grandprixforums.net/how-change-coolant-elbows-49779.html your directions are at the bottom of the first post.

you can follow the tube from the heater core hose, down the bracket, and stick your hand in there to feel if its wet. this part gets pretty hot, so wait for the car to cool off some.

you can also use a flash light and a mirror. on a stick deal. check the under side of the top elbow, you may not see it leaking, but once its off you can sometimes see a trail under the elbow and bracket.
 
Thanks for the help guys. I'm gonna wait for it to get a little bit warmer here in the next hour or so then go see what I can find.
 
So I got my alt bracket off. I'm assuming the o ring on the cast part is the culprit.

025F8896-9DC1-4EF2-BAF2-FD378A987012-973-0000007894AEB7D8_zpsf4619db8.jpg


Does this just get replaced with a standard o-ring? Should I use rtv when I put it back together? I'm also going to replace my other elbow while its out.
 
clean the holes where the elbows go real good, make sure no old elbow is stuck in the lim, then you buy the dorman help elbows, it comes with 2 elbows, you steal the lower elbows O ring, and put it on your cast elbow.

oil the O rings with motor oil, you can pull the dip stick wipe it on your fingers, then the o rings, then slide them back in the holes. dont use any rtv or anything else, not needed.
 


that will work, just steal the O ring off the shorter elbow, the black or purple one, what ever color that is. its the one thats not red lol
 
It's definitely the o ring. I put a new one on it and put it back together, put more coolant in it but now it's still leaking from there
 


leaking from the lower cast elbow? you cleaned the hole out good? they get a crud built up on the insides of the timing cover that "needs" to be removed.

and your sure you didnt crack the timing cover where the cast elbow goes? these cast elbows leave that risk for it to crack.
 
Correction, it's leaking from the weep hole in my water pump now. I had wiped up around that cast and it's still dry. But I put my hand under the water pump and could feel it dripping. Any write ups for this one?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top