Leaking water pump

asmith

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2012
Posts
664
Reaction score
204
Location
Atascadero, Ca
I came out to my truck this morning to a big streak of something underneath it. I determined it was coolant.
You must be registered for see images attach

after some investigating it looks like the water pump is leaking out the weep hole. what do you guys think?
You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach


Is the flowkooler pump worth it? this was a new motorcraft and it only lasted twoish years.
 

Philip1

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2019
Posts
448
Reaction score
366
Location
Northeastern Nevada
I am currently running the flowkooler pump on my truck however I haven't put enough miles on it to say one way or the other. However with a visual inspection I am impressed with the build of the impeller on it.
 

chris142

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2012
Posts
3,007
Reaction score
353
Location
SoCal
Change it. Some new pumps come with 2 new bolts. Make sure to put them where the instructions say to.
 

asmith

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2012
Posts
664
Reaction score
204
Location
Atascadero, Ca
I think that's an amazingly clean engine!

Thank you! @IdIot did a great job putting it together. It also helps being out here in California, no rust!! of course that is the cleanest part. Up top I am chasing boost leaks in my intake pipes and along with those leaks comes oil from the crankcase. also have some leaking return lines. I am saving up for some goodies from Wes, and then will be redoing everything up top along with a thorough cleaning.
 

asmith

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2012
Posts
664
Reaction score
204
Location
Atascadero, Ca
Change it. Some new pumps come with 2 new bolts. Make sure to put them where the instructions say to.

oh its getting changed. took it to my mechanic yesterday. We are getting hit with crazy winds and rain today. up to 7" in one day which is unheard of here. I would have had to change in it my driveway since I dont have any covered areas to work. So I gave it to him to do. definitely worth the couple hundred bucks. cant get a flowkooler for several days and need the truck for work as quickly as possible. So going with a gates pump. hopefully it holds up well. He says he has had really good experiences with them. we will see.
 

Stu Bailey

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Posts
336
Reaction score
281
Location
Idaho
If you ever find yourself in the same situation later on I'll be a second to Flowkooler pumps looking like quality out the box. Mine has only got 300 miles on it so I can't say too much. But I can tell you that the customer service was phenomenal. Plus I got a cool sticker :music:
 

Ryan Nunez

Registered User
Joined
Dec 20, 2020
Posts
19
Reaction score
11
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Sorry to jump into your thread and ask another question but... I just installed a new radiator and am doing a coolant flush so while filling the radiator with distilled water I started to see dripping. After crawling under the truck I can see it dripping from behind the main crank pulley but I can’t see or feel any leaks from the actual water pump pulley. Do we think this is a bad water pump or something else? I haven’t even tried starting the truck since the leaking happened almost instantly when the new rad was filled. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Big Bart

Tow&Slow
Joined
Dec 22, 2020
Posts
1,481
Reaction score
950
Location
Newport Beach, CA
ASmith just a reminder a couple of the bolts go through to the cooling/coolant chamber, so use a sealant on those so they do not leak. You probably allready know that but just incase.
 

Big Bart

Tow&Slow
Joined
Dec 22, 2020
Posts
1,481
Reaction score
950
Location
Newport Beach, CA
Ryan,

You may have splashed some water or coolant. So try starting to see if you have a leak and if so where.

Some thoughts of where leaks can happen at the front of your engine.

1) Water pump housing
2) Water pump seal
3) Thermostat housing (Next to water pump and altenator)
4) Upper or lower radiator hose (Did you remove them from the engine side? Maybe it did not seal up correctly.)
5) Heater hose
6) Oil cooler - Long shot but one side is up on the drivers side close to the front of the engine. Known to leak over time.
7) Headgasket - Not sure why a flush would cause this unless you shot air or water line pressure into the system. (Most radiator caps only let the pressure build up to 8-14lbs, once tired less than that. So shooting air/water from a compressor, or street water pressure of 80-110 PSI is not a good idea.

I would try one of these two things.

1) Run it and look around for a leak. No leak, likely you just splashed some water or coolant all is good. If you do have a leak and all you can see is water dripping on the ground. (Things are in the way of getting a look.) Borrow or buy a decent video borescope to see where the leak is origninating from. (Try a mechanics mirror as a cheaper option.) Also look for any heavy corrosion or a coolant stains. They will give you a good clue where it leaks if only interminttently.
2) Intermitent leak - Buy one or see if your local parts store has a loaner radiator tester. Pump up to say 10psi with engine warm and look for a leak may just be a couple of drops, then go to 13psi and look again if nothing at 10psi. I would not go too high since you could make something old and crusty give out. (Headgasket, hose, seal, oil cooler o-rings, etc.) Stop and monitor for leaks frequently till you find one. Also when your radiator is cool open it, top it off, it should stay full (Or very close) if you do not have a leak.(If you have a good radiator cap.) If you do have a leak you will see your overflow tank (If working, no cracks.) or radiator coolant level is getting lower in time. You will usually know when you have a leak, you will smell coolant in the cab or when standing next to the truck when you park.

All the best.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
91,217
Posts
1,128,469
Members
24,043
Latest member
tottripp

Members online

Top