Help..... Grande problem.

[jocko]

Gents,
Recently swapped a T5 into my truck - one of the problems I ran into was I thought that in the process of jacking my engine around (bell hsg mounts removed, front mounts still attached) and having the fan kinda impinge on the fan shroud accidentally that I busted the water pump shaft seal - because I found that a butt load of coolant had leaked out one day. But it was a little while after I had re-installed the engine in the proper place. Strange. Not normal for an engine to suddenly dump most of its coolant - when not running...

So, replaced the water pump. Blue permatex, the wholel deal. Water pissing out near the lower passenger side bolt at a pretty high rate (i.e. just when re-filling the system - not even pressurized or engine running, etc).

So, yanked that bolt thinking I forgot to seal the threads (which I had) and put a good wrapping of teflon tape around the bolt and re-torqued it.

But it's still leaking. Pretty bad. Gasket appears to be in place, hasn't bulged out or slipped out of place, etc, so no problem there (I think). So, I'm gonna have to tear the whole #$%$%^ thing apart again to figure out the problem.

I RTV sealed the gasket front and back and used white teflon tape on the bolts, yet still leaking out the side - the arrow in the pic shows the exact spot it was pissing out. My MAIN worry is, heaven forbid, that I somehow cracked the block at this mating junction between pump and block - because the pump is brand new. It COULD be that I have two separate problems - originally bad water pump. THEN, a leaky gasket, but it sure is pissin out - it's not just dripping. Wasn't obvious until I saw a massive puddle under the truck that I even noticed the leak.

This is the side of the pump that uses the whole gasket, i.e. not the side that has the extra part of the gasket hanging out becuase they just give you two identical gaskets.

What could I be missing here?

Anyone ever hear of such a silly thing as a cracked block in this location?
Seems it's GOTTA be a gasket leak or bolt leak.

What do you use to sel your bolts? I used white teflon tape. Is blue RTV or white liquid sealant better?

How much blue rtv do you slap on both sides of the gasket? I smeared it on by hand - but didn't let it get too thick. In the pic, I notice there is no RTV squeezed out where the leak is, so gonna look closely at the gasket in that location.

There's that "extra" hole in the gasket on that side - wondering if that could be an issue....

Gonna pull the whole thing and probably replace the gaskets while I investigate - I can't SEE a block crack, but pretty worried. Will have made this T5 a waste of money. Anyway, more to come - but wanted to get your thoughts before I get too pissed off at this little blue truck. Aw, I still love er, but she better start moving SOON, the ol piece of crap.

Thanks,
Jocko

[Max1775]

That looks like it's coming from the freeze plug.
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[bama63]

looks like your gasket may have split silicone sometimes does that if not allowed to tack up a little, i use permatex #2 on all gaskets that will see water or fuel also use the same stuff on the bolts its very tacky and wont let the gasket slip or tear as the rtv does

[Max1775]

Lol, made the picture larger, now I can see what you're talking about. That's gotta be a bad gasket or a split like bama said, although I haven't had that happen. It would be tough for the block to crack at that point I would think.
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[jocko]

thanks gents - i've got permatex ultra blue for the gaskets and permatex white liquid thread sealant for the bolts. Hope that's good enough.

Max - I'd think the same if I hadn't seen it squirting from where the arrow is with my own eyes. It just pooled in the freeze plug when leaking. It literally was pissin out in a little fountain and some of it was landing on the frz plug.

[jocko]

Ha! Simo-post! Thanks Max -I agree, but I always tend to worst-case-scenario these things. Will look when I get the pump back off - should be able to spot a crack between threads and case easily with the pump off, now that i know what/where to look. But it probably is just a gasket issue. I HOPE! Thanks again.

[Max1775]

Ive got my fingers crossed for you!
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[jocko]

that sounds ominous.... I'm GOIN IN!

[aerotruk63]

Run a straight edge across the two pump faces see if the pump was machined flat. Could also lay a sheet of sand paper on a sheet of glass placed on the work bench, and then rub the surfaces of pump to see if they are flat and even. Any old gasket material left on the block? Did you tighten one side before you tighten the other or did you sequentially tighten the bolts till they were all torqued even.

[pdxhall]

It seems unlikely to me that it's a gasket problem with all that you have done. If it didn't leak before and suddenly started after binding the engine fan while moving the block around, I hate to say it, but I think you've probably broke something. Water pumps just aren't that hard to seal, especially if it is not even under pressure.

[Str8axle]

Possible bad water pump casting? I've seen that before. Hard to tell anything without removing to pump.
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[jocko]

removed the pump - gasket had in fact slipped to one side near that bolt hole - to the INside of course so could not see it on the lower bolt near timing cover. Re-did the whole thing with locktite hi temp thread sealant on the bolts and permatex hi-temp copper sealant. This is what the permatex website said was best for water pumps. But we'll see.... Jury still out, gonna let it cure for 24 hrs at least then refill it.

pdx, i'm with ya brutha, I am worried there is something bigger in play. BUT, there was a seep trail from the bearing on the old pump AND a bad gasket tear/shift on the new pump (i only know this now), so am hopeful.

Cross your fingers n toes. Thanks for the help guys.

[pdxhall]

We'll hope for the best. I would hate to see you have to deal with the other scenario. Good luck. Keep us posted on the outcome.

[jocko]

the guilty $%^&*. I HOPE! Will fill er up manana and hope for the best. Thanks again gents.

[Captainfab]

Yep, I think that was the problem. The gasket slid over and let the coolant out of the thermostat bypass port.

Originally Posted by jocko

the guilty $%^&*. I HOPE! Will fill er up manana and hope for the best. Thanks again gents.