Evenin all

Just put the motor back in my car after rebuilding it (over the last 18 months!), and while it runs ok, it's p1ssing water out which has got me more than a bit worried.

It's coming from the back of the pump, the stat housing is on nice and snug, pipes are all snug too, but the water proper trickles out. Doesn't do it when it's left alone, but when you run the engine or squeeze the bottom rad hose it really leaks out.

Now on the rebuild I didn't replace the pump. On one hand I was going to as a matter of course, but on the other hand I was skint, and after spending a while turning the pump by hand I decided it felt very nice & smooth and wasn't displaying the slightest hint of a dodgy bearing or any rumbliness etc.

I've taken the cam covers off already and can't see any water leaking out the front of the pump at all. The only place I can see it appearing is when lying under the car and it appears on the crank side of the pump at the back. Can't see what's above it to figure if there are any other things it could be.

Now I know that things can 'go' suddenly but I'm a bit surprised that this was fine when I took the motor apart, but the moment I fired it up after the rebuild it is p1ssing water out. Just trying to think if there is anything else it could be before I remove the new cambelt again and fork out 50 quid or whatever that I can't really afford for another pump.

Here's a clip of it leaking whilst I'm lying under the car giving the bottom rad hose a bit of a squeeze. Bottom of the pic is manifold heat shield and top of vid is the sump.

Any helpful suggestions gratefully received, cheers!
Jim

 

Whip it off and use some three bond/suitable rtv on the surface of the pump. Bolt it up, and leave it for a couple of hours to cure properly. I would also replace the oem spring clis on the water tubes with jubilee clips if you havent already, as they can go weak over time.

Fill it up and fire it up. Should be fine then.

 

Cheers for the reply mate. Thing is that when I had the engine in bits the pump was not removed at all from it so I doubt that it will have suddenly sprung a leak (a big one) around the edge where it mounts against the block.

Good point about those spring clips although they're not the cause of this leak as the water is coming out quite a way from the heater pipes.

Think I'll have to just bite the bullet and take the cambelt off today and remove the pump to see if I can identify the source of the leak.

One person made a point that the seal in the pump is used to being in water all its life and after being stood on an engine stand for 18 months perhaps it's gone brittle/bad and just failed badly. Dunno if that's likely but not sure why the leak would come out the back in that case instead of the front by the pulley shaft?

Only colnsolation to removing all this is that there will be no grill/bumper etc (not on it yet) so I should be able to put the cambelt back on without too much grief through the front with the rad out I guess.

 

Did it overheat first time round and thus require a re-build as there is a pressure releif valve located in the pump if the engine overheats this lifts to release pressure to protect the block , sadly it does not reseat and new pump required , did it on mine when the stat stuck and it overheated and blew a headgasket , stripped engine , rebuilt it all myself put water in and then had water coming out of pump housing , thought it was a pipe or something then Alan at As performance told me about the releif valve took pump off and you will see a small hole in the casing on the back poured a cup of water into pump and it came staright out of the hole , got new pump for about £65 and remember to get a new stat if not already replaced as these are a service item and don't last for ever . Hope this helps might be the case .


Mark

 

Cheers Mark - that sounds the same as on a renault turbo I used to have. They used to over heat all the time!

I've never overheated it that I know of, certainly not close to when I took it off the road anyway, but I guess maybe being off the road for so long and out of use maybe this seal has just gone somehow.

Rebuild was done because of really noisy tappets and a new clutch needed. It's a legacy motor and the tappets are awful on them so I fitted STi v4 heads to cure it but you need the matching pistons etc etc so it turned into a rebuild.

 

Taken it off now and sure enough the little hole on the bak of the pump is where the leak is coming from so the seal in it has obviously gone somehow.

What a waste of a good pump. Better check the bank account...

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Remember to fit a new stat at the same time .

glad to help


Mark

 

Thanks for all the replies chaps.

Sorry for no update, but I got a new pump and then when fitting it sheared two of the bolts even though I had the torque wrench set correctly and they bolts weren't remotely tight at all!
I'd strongly advise not to try re-using these sodding things as it meant I then had to go and buy a helicoil kit and drill it all out etc. All sorted now but a pain in the hoop and an extra expense I could have done without.