Coolant LEAK!

[Riley P]

Well, if no longer being able to replace the SWPS in the ol girl wasn't enough, I came outside yesterday to find this:

The puddle on the drivers side of the car is actually an old stain on the road. I just parked in the wrong spot.

Anyway, the rad looks good. All hoses look good. I can't find evidence anywhere except that the one side of my power steering rack is wet, that is the only wet thing I can see from the top. There is light spray on different parts but nothing wet besides the rack. There is a lot of coolant on the subframe under the car and it looks wet on the lower control arm. So the only thing I can think of is water pump? The weird thing is I just can't see anything from the top that would indicate it would be dumping that much coolant. Very crazy.

Stuck the camera down in front of the engine and snapped a few photos. Hopefully someone see's something.

 

[Case75]

Any play in the water pump shaft?

 

[Keith Tedford]

Might want to take a look at the belts while you are at it.

 

[LSXtasy]

I had issues 2 summers ago with a coolant leak. It ended up just being a bunch air pockets trapped in the system. It had me worried at first and was embarrassing more than once watching it puke out coolant in a parking lot.
I did change the rad cap as I wasn't sure if the old one was faulty. Luckily it hasn't been a problem again. I know that the tads because of the angle that they're on are notorious for trapping air. Hope you find the culprit.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

 

[CCO]

Pinhole, loose clamp, high pressure leak such as when you shut off after a run??????

Next time you go out for a spin, come back and park it on a clean area to see if you can narrow down the leak.

If it doesn't leak it's probably what Justin said about burping air out of the cap.

You also might want to renew the rad cap if it's the original or worn.

Watch your rad levels and temp gauge(s) to make sure you're not losing too much coolant

G/L Riley
C.

 

[buckhorn76]

have a look at the freeze plugs and block drains too. also do you have a power steering cooler ?

 

[Riley P]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The belts are on the list.

I replaced the rad cap three years ago and still have the original but if the rad cap is puking I didn't see any evidence around the cap itself. The air may be one consideration. I just had the surge tank (over flow tank) replaced last month and a flush done so maybe it's puking air. Fingers crossed!!!! I never did follow the hose for the overflow line to see where it leads if it is letting coolant past the cap. I could smell coolant earlier that day and the puddle looks, feels, smells, and tastes like coolant. Well everything but the taste part. So although I have the power steering cooler, I know it's not that fluid. I am not sure where the frost plug/engine drains are on the block. If they are on the front passenger side I could have an issue. If they are on the side like the older small blocks, it's all dry there but I will have another look.

I'm in Red Deer going to the Mopar meet so I won't know more until I'm back home and can look further. I was really hoping to bring my Vette to give my uncles car a run once they opened the track to all makes but I guess it will have to wait!

 

[Riley P]

Oh yah. Temps have been great. Never a degree over 92. I was checking as I always keep an eye on the gauges and especially if I smell coolant like I did, then I keep an eye on it even more over the next few days.

 

[Case75]

Good luck Riley. I hope it's just an air lock.

 

[Manny@Dasilva]

Hi Riley , the earlier C5's came with paper gaskets on the water pump that do go bad eventually . I do suspect from those pictures that this is your problem .

Its not too bad of a job to change them out ,and it can be done by a novice in around 2 hours .

When replacing the gaskets , make sure that you purchase the upgraded GM aluminum and rubber ones , and coat the bolts with a dab of silicone on the threads when you re-install the pump .

If by chance your Vette came with the new style gaskets , they too can fail as the rubber on the edges distorts over time .

 

[Riley P]

Awesome. Thanks Manny! I'm very glad to hear it's not the pump and just gaskets. I'll order new ones and hope to have my car up and running for cruise weekend!

 

[xlr8r]

MANNY, is there anything he doesn't know, lol!