Chevy Astro and GMC Safari Forum banner

Coolant leak?

1K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  stent 
#1 ·
2000 Astro. I have a coolant leak that seems to be coming from the lower, driver side of the engine. What it's not,,,, Upper and lower radiator hose, radiator, water pump, coolant hoses on the pass side of engine, thermostat housing. I can see these items and have checked them. Coolant is dripping off of the oil cooler lines that run along the lower driver side of the engine. Not that it's these lines, just where it's dripping off of.
 
#2 ·
I'd look at the intake manifold gasket and freeze plugs. If you have a way to pressurize the system that would make it easier to find, I bought a kit at Harbor Freight. I don't remember it being expensive.

Welcome aboard!

:chevy:
 
#5 ·
Well, I decided to replace the water pump. If I have to remove the fan, belt, ETC, to look for leaks, might as well replace the pump. The leak may be coming from the pump anyway. Has anybody had the pump leak from the mating surface where the gaskets are installed? THX
 
#9 ·
I discovered something. The 2 bolts on the driver side of the water pump, the lower bolt hole goes into the coolant cavity in the block. When you remove that bolt coolant flows out of that bolt hole. If there is the slightest gap in the gasket, coolant will leak from that area. None of the other bolt holes do this. I suppose if I were to have just tightened that bolt, it might have stopped the leak. Anyway,,, I have a new water pump. I hope it doesn't leak any place.
 
#10 ·
Most of the time they won't leak from the water pump gaskets unless it was a poor installation.

LIM can leak right behind the AC bracket and run down the front of the engine, that bracket can make it hard to see.

Hope it was your water pump, otherwise I'm betting it's due for LIM gaskets.
 
#12 ·
YES! I have had some 'luck' with stop leak...but some of it was not good luck.
In my shop, we often found stop leak, or the evidence of it, when doing repairs.
Good results depends a lot on where the leak might be, how it is used, and what you are trying to achieve ( long term or short term).
Stop leak can also plug up heater cores.
I have used it with caution on small leaks a couple of times. I never use the whole container at one time.
I usually mix a third of a can, well mixed with water, then put it in slowly and run it for a day or two. If that does not stop the leak, then I do the same with another third of the can.
I know that is not the recommended way, but it works for me.
I have seen several instances of the owner dumping the can into the radiator in one batch, and then having issues with the heater core.
In one situation the owner was trying to plug a small radiator leak, and it resulted in plugging the radiator completely. He had a marginal overheating problem prior to that, so he likely had a partially plugged radiator to begin with, but was trying to get by cheap. It wound up costing him a motor, due to overheating on the freeway. .
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top