Ok guys,
So here's the deal. I just got finished with a major PITA on my 2001 2.4L Cavalier. I just replaced my timing chain tensioner along with the entire kit. I figured since I already had my engine jacked up and off the mounts, I would replace the water pump (nothing was wrong with it, but it had 188,000 miles on it). So I took off to the original, scraped the original gaskets off, sanded, and then applied a new gasket. After bolting down the entire new pump and coolant line, we got everything back together and the car has been running fine.....except for my coolant. I put cardboard under the engine for the first week just to catch run-off and the additional drippage . I noticed a small puddle of the coolant forming after every time I drove, assuming it was just run off from the overflow tube......
It's not. Tonight I took my exhaust manifold cover back off, and could see the coolant leaking from the water pump to block surface. Since there was very little drippage, I'm assuming this is only happening when the pressure is added from driving. Any suggestions guys? I'm pretty sure the bolts were as tight as possible without over tightening and the gasket was scraped and the surface prepped properly.... I'm just kinda pissed after all that crap, I have a feeling that I'll have to rip everything back apart just to check the leak.....
Any input would be awesome!
ShiftyCav wrote:thats probably the dumbest thing i have ever heard. you should take that serpentine belt and wrap it around your neck.
Hahaha, that happened to me to.Your gonna have to pull the pump housing off and use rtv,i found it worked best.
It sucks i know, i was pretty mad when mine started to leak after i rebuilt my motor.
Tightening the bolts slowed it down,but didn't stop it,i had to remove it and rtv it.
Is RTV the sealant paste to keep the gaskets from moving when you tighten the bolts?
ShiftyCav wrote:thats probably the dumbest thing i have ever heard. you should take that serpentine belt and wrap it around your neck.
Jace Evo2 wrote:Is RTV the sealant paste to keep the gaskets from moving when you tighten the bolts?
Yeah, that's the stuff. We either use RTV or another thing that works well is a product called High Tack. It is a sealer you brush on and works very well for water pumps. If you use the High Tack, use the gasket also. I still use the gasket even with RTV, but some people omit the gasket with RTV. High Tack is referred to by us old timers as gorilla snot. If you use it, you'll understand why.
Hmm I wonder if I just didn't spread the RTV well enough. I did use that on each sealed surface, but also used the "felt" gasket. Could the use of those gasket plus RTV cause a gap? When the bolts were tightened, the gaskets didn't move nearly at all (The point of the RTV right?)
ShiftyCav wrote:thats probably the dumbest thing i have ever heard. you should take that serpentine belt and wrap it around your neck.
Yeah the RTV is used to help hold the gasket, but it also aids in sealing, especially if there are surface imperfections.
Apparently there is a special sequence to tighten the bolts. I got this from our Mitchell software:
Torque Specs:
Water pump to block bolt - 19ft/lbs
Water pump to timing chain housing nut - 19ft/lbs
Water pump cover bolt - 124 INCH/lbs
Sorry about your troubles, yes I know the pain it is to get to.
Take off the pump, no way around it, you'll be tempted to dump a little sealer into the radiator, RESIST that urge!!! It might work but for a car known to overheat, you don't want crap sealing up the cooling passages throughout the entire car.
Most likely you left a little spot of old gasket on the housing. It's really hard to see in there. The other option is if you didn't tighten the pump down evenly you cracked a mounting ear and now you've got a spot that isn't pulled in tight and is seeping. It won't get better over time.
Easy on the TRV. You don't want chunks stuck in the thermostat or radiator. If you use it, use it very sparingly for it almost all gushes out of the joint.
More isn't always better.
Dave
Oh crap. I didn't even think about a proper tightening order, but it makes sense. I hand tightened them snug and then went in order, but I don't recall if I torqued them. Guess my Friday night is going to be really fun....
On a related note, what is the average temp that a 2001 z24's engine temp should be at? My has always been barely under or on 195 degrees, but I noticed today it was slightly higher.... I have plenty of coolant, but it's a question I've never really known.
Thanks a ton for the info!
ShiftyCav wrote:thats probably the dumbest thing i have ever heard. you should take that serpentine belt and wrap it around your neck.
