Arch! Help! :(
GTcars - Post God !
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 15,868
From: Saraland AL
Rep Power: 1125 
Originally Posted by meissenation
I know, it's horrible! 
Good news is that after driving to and from work (a 10 mile total drive there and back) I didn't actually lose too much coolant. My dad's thinking that the water pump went bad behind it, which he really doesn't seem to think is normal... Arch, are there any metal pipes that you know of behind the water pump? I myself am having a hard time believing that's what it is because it's wet from above the thermostat (dry at the thermostat though) and then from an inch or so below the thermostat you can basically trace the water all the way down... most of the antifreeze is at the water pump and below, so it might just be blowing up but the rest of the engine doesn't have it, it's all in the nooks and crannies as if it's trickling down.
**** tho, we opened the cap to the radiator and **** that is some nasty *** brown **** in there
Good news is that after driving to and from work (a 10 mile total drive there and back) I didn't actually lose too much coolant. My dad's thinking that the water pump went bad behind it, which he really doesn't seem to think is normal... Arch, are there any metal pipes that you know of behind the water pump? I myself am having a hard time believing that's what it is because it's wet from above the thermostat (dry at the thermostat though) and then from an inch or so below the thermostat you can basically trace the water all the way down... most of the antifreeze is at the water pump and below, so it might just be blowing up but the rest of the engine doesn't have it, it's all in the nooks and crannies as if it's trickling down.
**** tho, we opened the cap to the radiator and **** that is some nasty *** brown **** in there
Thread Starter
GTcars - Post God !
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,032
From: Macomb, Michigan
Rep Power: 952
well, we got to the water pump and removed it today to see, and it seems 100% fine, gaskets in perfect condition, no real signs of leakage. I got as far as taking the power steering pully off and then I had to leave for work, but he got the rest off and he said there's a cast iron piece that attaches to the block behind the water pump and he said the gasket to that might be the problem. Any input, Arch? Sound like a possibility? We're replacing the water pump regardless, since it's the original one, and replacing the serpentine belts and what not.. some maintenance stuff none the less.
Thread Starter
GTcars - Post God !
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,032
From: Macomb, Michigan
Rep Power: 952
Here are some pictures with the water pump removed. You can see the nice chip that I made when I was moving the tensioner pulley, also one of the last pictures shows the pulley... it's REALLY close to that metal piece, this is a bad thing isn't it?
Thread Starter
GTcars - Post God !
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,032
From: Macomb, Michigan
Rep Power: 952 
Exactly. I just sat by and watched my dad go to work, and then went on here and asked Arch to make sure my dad knew what he was doing. I guess I should just trust his judgement, he's been working on cars forever, not as an actual career, but rebuilding tons of old toy cars and stuff back when they were the car of the times lol
Thread Starter
GTcars - Post God !
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,032
From: Macomb, Michigan
Rep Power: 952
ok.. nix that. We didn't get the power steering pully all the way on because the mother ****** won't go into place, we bashed on that thing for a half hour and still couldn't get it the last half inch on. Well, it stayed in place but the belt shredded.. so now my car's in a parking lot. ****.
Thread Starter
GTcars - Post God !
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,032
From: Macomb, Michigan
Rep Power: 952
oh, and as far as what it was... it was either the gasket to the water pump or the gasket to the timing cover... we replaced both and we also bought a new water pump just because it was old, but it was in good condition.