Seeping Water Pump

[stevemarl]

I`ve just put the car back on the road for the summer, but I notice I have a really tiny amount of coolant on the floor under pump - just a couple of drops really. All the hoses are OK, clips etc, and it`s not coming from the rear gasket which is bone dry. I can`t actually see any damp, apart from on top of the pulley underneath the pump so I`m guessing the internal seal is seeping slightly and this is draining out of the hole on underside of pump (presumably this drain hole is there to stop any leakage reaching the bearings which are mounted further forward? In which case it will continue to work quite happily like this?)
Assuming my assumptions are correct, would I be OK to leave this till the autumn to replace, I mean it`s not likely to fail catastrophically is it? (There is no more than 1/2 ml of coolant dropping and I`ve never needed to top it up. But it is 32 y.o.....) Just wondered if anyone had actually had a pump fail, suddenly, in use.

Also, as a bit of a rant what p*** put some kind of `one touch delete a whole paragraph` feature in this software - I just went back to the middle to correct a typo and bugger me it`s just deleted 1/2 the text!!!!!!!

[pbar]

I just went back to the middle to correct a typo and bugger me it`s just deleted 1/2 the text!!!!!!!

If you find that happens again Steve (or indeed any similar issue/error which you didn't want), press Contol and Z at the same time. Hopefully it will bring it all back (i.e. it cancels the last command used and reverts back to the point before it).

Try it, next time you post, accidentally-on-purpose delete some of it then press Control-Z

[stevemarl]

That`s brilliant Paul, thanks, I`ll remember that!

[pbar]

You can also repeatedly press Contorl-Z, and it will take you back to each change you may have made, one by one.

[Mc Tool]

The water pump ..........there is an unwritten law thing that sez if you know about something ( like your water pump ) and do nothing , it will bite you on the arse at the worst possible time ...........and it will leak faster when hot and the system is pressurised...... just fit a new pump , and take care when removing that special bolt that holds the cam belt cover on as its mild steel and will snap like a carrot if you try to muscle it out

[stevemarl]

.there is an unwritten law thing that sez if you know about something ( like your water pump ) and do nothing , it will bite you on the arse at the worst possible time

Yep, that`s pretty much my fear. It`s just the fact it only seeps at all when under pressure (there`s not a drop if it`s just standing) and it`s a really tiny amount so I kind of thought I could get away with it till I had more time.... But you`re right, I do tend to go significant distances in the summer so it needs doing. Bugger!

[Bertie]

just fit a new pump , and take care when removing that special bolt that holds the cam belt cover on as its mild steel and will snap like a carrot if you try to muscle it out

Good advice, I broke two on the 2.8 when I did mine but managed to get them out with an extractor. Give each bolt a gentle tap before you remove them if it's not been done for some time..

Des

[jimmyted]

Hey Steve, just a quick check incase you haven't already.. I had a similar problem last year. What I eventually realised was, that as I'd been mucking around with ancillaries, I'd moved the alternator bracket a few times and this had loosened the bolt holding the water pump. It leaked just as you described. Maybe worth a check before you swap pumps?

[stevemarl]

Give each bolt a gentle tap before you remove them if it's not been done for some time..

Cheers, good point. I`ll give it a good soaking with WD40 too, It`s the original pump so it`s been on 32 years...

that as I'd been mucking around with ancillaries, I'd moved the alternator bracket a few times and this had loosened the bolt holding the water pump. It leaked just as you described. Maybe worth a check before you swap pumps?

That`s interesting, I`ll definitely check that as I`m still not absolutely sure where it is leaking from. Thanks for that!

See that`s a couple of points I wouldn`t have thought of; this forum is great!

[Bug]

The water pump has a tell-tale hole in the bottom of the shaft housing, just behind where the fan bolts on.
It should be dry. If water drips from that it is to indicate that the bearing is worn and water is escaping past it.
It is meant as an early warning that the bearing or its seal are failing.
The idea is that you see that and change the pump before it fails completely.
So, I know what I'd be doing, and it doesn't involve any 'wait and see'.

[stevemarl]

Yep, I`d kind of eliminated all other joints so leaving only the drain hole as a possible culprit (although there was no visible water or dampness.... it must be that?) Anyway, confession time, I made a bit of a basic mistake, there`s nothing wrong with the pump at all. Last year I changed the thermostat gasket, fitted a new top hose for safety and also cleaned up the housing and gave it a coat of paint & lacquer. If the housing was still grey and dusty it would no doubt have shown the damp caused by the seeping top hose.... being silver and shiny it didn`t look wet - and I must have missed it when checking. it was running down, along, then dripping onto the pulley beneath. Anyway, just needed 1/2 a turn on the jubilee clip and all`s well (and the water pump lives to fight another day!) Thanks for all suggestions though, they`ll all be retained for the future.