Coolant Leak

Since I have had my Del Sol I have known there was a coolant leak...A very slow leak. A couple mornings ago my rpm's were bouncing up and down while warming the car up so I knew the coolant was really low. I topped it off and it was fine. Today I go to leave work and after starting the car the rpm's started bouncing again. I opened the radiator cap and sure enough it was really low again. So I figured maybe I just didn't fill it all the way the first time. I top it off again and decide to go to the mall. Spent about an hour inside and come out and notice it was leaking. I'm pretty sure it's coming from the water pump. Every time it leaks it's right in the area of the front driver's side tire.
I think I remember Geo saying he changed the water pump on his Del Sol before and would never, ever do it again. That makes me think it's gonna be one of those EXPENSIVE repairs. Anyone have any idea how much someplace like Walt's Radiator might charge?
If it's really pricey then it might be the deciding factor of just swapping in a bigger motor.
I figure that the cost of other repairs down the road could get rather pricey and then I would still have the same lower hp sohc motor that is showing age. The transmission still has issues and there is a mystery leak somewhere on the engine. Add on the price of water pump(and I'm sure they would also replace the timing belt)and I'm sure that would be more than half of what it would cost to find a better motor and have it swapped in.
If that is the route I go then I just gotta find a way to keep it on the road until I can plan all that out.

Welcome to the club. I think the reason Geo said he would never do it again is because his is a B16 and changing the timing belt/water pump combo on those is a lot harder compared to your D16. So you basically have three options. Get geo to help you change it yourself, get honda or another shop to do it for you (you should try japan auto on aurora up in seattle), do the motor swap you always wanted, or trade the junker in for something more reliable [img]smile.gif[/img]

I just got home from work and pulled the car up onto ramps to take a look underneath. It's definately coming from the water pump....or at least the pump area. Hard to get a good look when it keeps dripping on you. I crawled back a bit further to get a better angle. I can't see exactly where the leak is coming from but it is dripping onto the corner of my oil pan. It appears to be dripping from a small bolt...dripping from it but I can't tell if that is where the leak is. I came inside and looked looked up diagrams of the water pump and I am thinking that small bolt I saw was the bleed valve.
I'm hoping that if I tighten that valve up it just might stop leaking....if that is the source of the leak. I'll have Ann drive me to work tomorrow and try that out when I get home.
Anyone ever heard of the bolt on that valve loosening up and leaking?

From what your saying it's the water pump leaking out the weep hole, so the pumps going south. May as well change out the timing belt at the same time as well as the tensioner. The only thing is I don't have the locking tool for doing it, I borrowed one which I can't now since that person is not around anymore. If you can get someone to break the timing pulley bolt loose and re-tighten it then we can do it, that's the hardest part.
The only reason I don't want to do one is when I did mine, I did it all by myself, bent a 1/2 inch extension getting the bolt loose on the pulley (besides injurying myself, still have to go in for an operation on that), the rest is easy. Mine was the hardest one I did, and I did three of them total.

Geo
President
Team Sol of Washington

http://img275.imageshack.us/img275/5430/banner38qx.jpg

Are either of these the right tool for breaking that bolt loose?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...pecialty+Tools

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...pecialty+Tools


I looked under the car again today and it definately is leaking from that weep hole. I'm not sure if the pump would hold out long enough to be able to find a shop to do a motor swap AND locate a motor AND a transmission and everything else needed. Plus I would be without a car for however long that would take.

If you want to give me a list of things to get I will take you up on that offer for help Geo. Just let me know if either of those 2 links I pasted would work and I can get one.
I'm still doing the 5am to 5pm shift 7 days a week. But if I can give them a time and day I'm sure I could arrange to get off work early or something.
Also....where to get a replacement water pump?...dealership for oem part or Schucks or Napa or Auto Zone for some generic brand? Not sure if they're all the same or better/worse.
Thanks again for all your help. [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 17, 2007 03:21 AM: Message edited by: reewinder ]</font>

Quote:

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Originally posted by Geo 94:
From what your saying it's the water pump leaking out the weep hole, so the pumps going south. May as well change out the timing belt at the same time as well as the tensioner. The only thing is I don't have the locking tool for doing it, I borrowed one which I can't now since that person is not around anymore. If you can get someone to break the timing pulley bolt loose and re-tighten it then we can do it, that's the hardest part.
The only reason I don't want to do one is when I did mine, I did it all by myself, bent a 1/2 inch extension getting the bolt loose on the pulley (besides injurying myself, still have to go in for an operation on that), the rest is easy. Mine was the hardest one I did, and I did three of them total.

Geo
President
Team Sol of Washington

http://img275.imageshack.us/img275/5430/banner38qx.jpg

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">For 2 days in a row now I haven't had to add any coolant/water. Weird, considering the 2 days before it all leaked out overnight or while at work.
I'll still take you up on that offer for help if I can find one of those tools needed. Just let me know when you're avaliable so I can make sure they schedule someone at work who can take over my shift for me.

Neither of those are the ones needed. Let me look one up and post a picture of what it looks like. It would be a weekend, Saturday that would be the best day to do it for me.

Geo
President
Team Sol of Washington

http://img275.imageshack.us/img275/5430/banner38qx.jpg

Here's a few links and pictures that go with them (the one I used was a Snap-On tool).

First one

Second one

Not sure about this one, looks to short and weak:
Third one

Picture of first and second one (both are the same tool, just different places to get them from:

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/4237/648796lgnd3.jpg

How it works (they are tightening the bolt in the picture, not taking it off by the way):

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/9...zzgzkmzcg4.jpg

Picture of the weak sister model (I don't really like it, I don't think it would hold to get the bolt loose, but I put it in anyway as it's a crank bolt tool):

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/726...5laa280sx2.jpg

Take you pick on where to get it from on the links. Also I only have one breaker bar, we would need two to do the job with the tools above, so we would need one more (1/2 inch drive, 15 inches long, Craftmans is good).

Geo
President
Team Sol of Washington

http://img275.imageshack.us/img275/5430/banner38qx.jpg

After seeing the video on that I see how someone could hurt themselves without that tool.
I will see if I can track one down tomorrow after work. I'll give you a call and let you know.
Other than that anything else to get besides water pump, tensioner and timing belt?

Quote:

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Originally posted by reewinder:
After seeing the video on that I see how someone could hurt themselves without that tool.
I will see if I can track one down tomorrow after work. I'll give you a call and let you know.
Other than that anything else to get besides water pump, tensioner and timing belt?

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That should be it besides the tools needed.

Geo
President
Team Sol of Washington