Confusing coolant leak

[cookiemoonster]

Are you sure it’s not the weep hole on the water pump?

I hadn't heard of them until today, and after researching it, it seems likely the weep hole is the culprit. I'm gonna look with an inspection camera later today (when it comes in the mail) and post an update here.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

 

[OR VietVet]

Yea, I came up with that name, WEEP HOLE, back in 1978 and it is registered, so don't try to steal it.

Before I named it WEEP HOLE, it was just called, "THE HOLE".

 

[cookiemoonster]

Welcome to the forum from Oregon.

Since you said the coolant is getting on the belts I am gonna guess the leak is at the water pump weep hole in the bottom casing of the pump. I am surprised that you did not see the leak with the mirror, if in fact that is where the leak is. If is leaking there it can leak at times after the engine cools and then leaves a puddle on the ground. When you see coolant, is it on the ground and where is it on the ground in reference to the front of rig and the engine? Pressure test the cooling system.

I wish I still had space and time to really diagnose it. It's my daily driver and I'm so busy right now (along with not having a dedicated work space) it's hard to really take the truck apart and give it a good inspection.

Its on the ground, a good amount of it, but i'm having a hard time tracing it to the source.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

 

[PNWYukon]

Taking out the whole airbox from filter to throttle body as one piece would take 5 minutes and gives you lots of room to poke around.

 

[OR VietVet]

The weep hole was designed in to the water pump housing so that when the front fan blade attachment hub bearing, in the front of the pump, started to loosen up it would allow coolant past that seal and bearing and that was to show a problem with coolant on the ground before the bearing got bad enough to allow the fan to move enough to dig in to the radiator or come completely off and pull itself in to the radiator.

 

[cookiemoonster]

Taking out the whole airbox from filter to throttle body as one piece would take 5 minutes and gives you lots of room to poke around.

yeah, I pulled that off in the auto part store parking lot trying to decide if I should just get a water pump while I was still there. Later today I'll take the air box and upper radiator shroud off and give it a good inspection.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

 

[Doubeleive]

To be fair, the rad leak was blowing back all over the engine so it "could seem" like the obvious component was the culprit.

true does take some experience sometimes to figure out the source, a good rule of thumb is it flows down and will follow any surface along the way

 

[Fless]

Rent the pressure tester from your auto parts store and pressurize it to the operating pressure. If you have noticed it more when the engine is cold, do it then. Watch for pressure leakdown and start looking and listening for the leak. If you have rear heat, be sure to inspect the heater hose Ts that are near the passenger firewall.

 

[exp500]

PNW VietVet-You sure your "weep hole" isn't an unthreaded grease fitting hole? Should have seen a few of them in 78 as well!

 

[OR VietVet]

Before I was born they used to grease the water pump bearing, if I remember right.

I have seen my share of threaded and unthreaded holes in my day. The unthreaded hairy ones get my attention for maintenance.