if it aint broke...

[alimo20]

... fix it anyway, break other stuff in the process.

i need some help with this. here are the sequences of events:

1. while putting in new motor mounts...
2. ..jacked up engine too high, hear a crack, see coolant dripping from behind the block
3. suspect coolant flange, order and install. coolant flange was not cracked. (so what did?)
4. lose lower temp sensor o-ring during install, plug hole for 3 mile city traffic drive back to garage
5. coolant level light comes on
6. arrive home, no overheat condition, no coolant left as plug fell out
7. install proper sized o-ring and sensor and coolant.
8. new leak from front of motor when running

based on the no-coolant running episode, i am assuming i dried out the water-pump seals or internal bearings. any other diagnostic suggestions?

edit: found out what cracked was a breather hose. still have leak though.. im thinking i dried out the seal..

[customa4]

Check the coolant return hose. Right side of the engine bay. I believe right under the intake manifold right near the fire wall. Check the plastic connector. One end connects to the heater core and the other end connects to the coolant hard pipe(where the plastic connector is).

[alimo20]

I will.. but leak is coming from directly in front of the motor, dripping off the oil pan almost.

[NY337]

Might have to pull off the timing cover and see if the water pump is wet. If its dry then you have to follow that drip. Even if its dripping from the front it could just be routing to there from another location.

[alimo20]

pulling the top timing cover does very little to be able to see anything dripping from there. from the bottom i can tell you that the drip is right off one of the pulleys.

something else - if i squeeze the top radiator hose while the engine is cold i hear some air escaping from the timing area. additionally much more coolant drips out after i do this.

separately i notice that the car looses more coolant when sitting as compared to when running. last night i noticed no dripping when it was running.

did i dry out the water pump seals when i drove without coolant?

[old guy]

Possible your J plug. It deteriorates from the inside. When the coolant heats up and expands it puts pressure on the plug and the plug remains tight. Once the coolant cools and shrinks air gets sucked in and coolant leaks out around the plug.

[alimo20]

im in there now with the intake off.. lets see. i do see more coolant dripping when the heater is on vs not.

[old guy]

im in there now with the intake off.. lets see. i do see more coolant dripping when the heater is on vs not.

Interesting observation with no logical explanation. Coolant flows through the heater core all the time regardless as to the cabin heater settings.

[alimo20]

jplug is good. i replaced this about 4 years ago (not that it can't fail in that time).

any other ideas to definitively verify that its the water pump? any feedback on me hearing air escaping from the timing area when i squeeze the upper coolant hose?

[Seerlah]

Wipe area dry and start from there. Much easier to see wet spots on dry areas to trace back to source.

[alimo20]

i ordered some UV dye tracer. im going to look in the water pump area, it should hopefully be pretty obvious .. any experience using any of this stuff?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1