Water leak under engine

[mattmayatt]

I got a leak under the engine , I've checked the hoses and the radiator looks fine , it's not coming from the overflow or the head gasket as that's dry.
Can't trace the exact place it's coming from as the drip is dripping of a square plate under the axel.
Another thing is it seems to stop leaking once the engine is hot but when the engine cools down it leaks water again.
Any help would be fantastic, cheers guys

 

[Panky]

It could be the core plug behind the flywheel, hopefully it's not but check for drips on the bottom of the bell housing. Another place to look is the core plug on the block behind the starter motor - both of these are a common place for them to rust through

 

[colinthefox]

Water pump?

 

[mattmayatt]

Thanks for the reply Panky , I'm haven't done an awful lot of mechanics so I'm learning this stuff as I go , are these core plugs problematic to change or expensive ?

 

[mattmayatt]

Hey Colin , I don't think it's the water pump but I'm gonna take a closer look this weekend

 

[Panky]

They are not expensive, only a few £££ for a full set, but they can be awkward to do with the engine in. To do the one behind the flywheel you need to drop the gearbox and remove the clutch and fly wheel to get to it.

 

[mattmayatt]

Ok cheers Panky , I got an oil leak on the gearbox anyway so if it is leaking water behind the flywheel I'll do both jobs at once

 

[Panky]

Here's where it is - been there

And the one behind the starter motor - been there too.

 

[mattmayatt]

Nice 1 , very helpful

 

[bazzateer]

Do they make core plugs in stainless steel?

 

[dodgeram]

I've heard of people tinning the inner face in an attempt to prevent rusting through.

 

[colinthefox]

The correct mix, and timely changing of antifreeze is a sure way of preventing them corroding.

 

[NateL]

Im bringing this thread back up. I have a mystery leak. I thought it was the lower hose but it looks fine, there was pooled coolant around a bolt to the front of pump, but thats next to 2 fittings and a small hose, so that could be it. The fan makes it very hard to track .

 

[PaulJL]

Pressure test the system

 

[jimberlake]

I’ve had the small plastic screw thread plug in the bottom of the rad leak before, if yours has one that is

 

[Panky]

Could the by-pass hose, that's the short piece of 1/2" hose on the water pump. Hopefully it's not the thermostat housing cover, the have been known to crack.

 

[dodgeram]

In that vicinity, I've had the thermostat housing, thermostat housing cover and the water pump casing all rot through from the inside, all on separate occasions. Could be the by-pass hose to go next

 

[NateL]

Thanks, it looks like its coming from around that bypass hose, i have suspected a pinhole leak for some time.

 

[NateL]

In that vicinity, I've had the thermostat housing, thermostat housing cover and the water pump casing all rot through from the inside, all on separate occasions. Could be the by-pass hose to go next

Sounds about right

 

[S0updragon]

Fingers crossed it’s a pipe fault