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What's leaking on the front of my 6.2L?

AJMBLAZER

AJMBLAZER

Better to be lucky than good.
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So I've found my mystery coolant leak...and maybe something else. However I need some help identifying what is what and what should happen next.

Earlier this week I noticed a small puddle in the parking lot at work under the passenger side front of the engine. Coolant. Stuck my head under it and sure enough, there was coolant dribbling down the lower radiator hose slowly. Should have checked this before but I never got a puddle, just a bit of coolant on the bottom of the engine and the crossmember. Maybe a tiny spot under the truck below the crossmember if it sat at work all day.
Spent $80something at NAPA on a hose and a bunch of coolant. Got ready to do it today and noticed something...

I have what appears to be a leak coming down the front of the engine on the p-side. At first I was thinking water pump but it almost looks like it's above the water pump. I've taken some (crappy) pictures with my camera phone and am going to see if I can borrow my buddy's camera to take better ones.
-The first pic shows it from the top with the camera tucked in below/behind the alt mount.
-Second pic shows (badly) how wet everything is and the obviously leaking radiator hose. You can kind of see the wetness on the block up by the bolt on the bottom of the water pump...at least I think that's the water pump...
-3rd pic...uhm, yeah...just more detail of 2nd.
-Lastly, D shows you...****, I dunno. I hate my camera phone. Blurry wet and grungy stuff.

Anyway, trying to figure out what the mystery leak is before I do the radiator hose tomorrow. It's not leaking bad so I can put it off if there's something larger going wrong.

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Your right, your camera phone sucks... could be coolant, the fuel return lines or oil.
 
What could be coming up in that first picture? It appears to be coming out of the engine at that point and not being dripped down there.

I'm a bit confused by this thing to be frank. I'll try and get some better pictures tomorrow.
 
I have better pictures now.

-First is where it appears to be originating on top.
-Second and Third show how it's coming down the radiator hose but also how a part that's actually behind it and a bit above it is wet with coolant also.
-Last is just overall goupiness covered in coolant. A lot of the stuff down here has oily grease on it but I believe that's mostly from the mains leaking slightly.

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from the first pic I would say it's the water pump gasket that is leaking.
First try to tighten the bolts on the water pump, and wash at least that area so yu can see if there is new leaks. If th eleak persists, then you need to remove the pump and put a new gasket or sealant.
 
Damn, not getting notifications again.


Thanks man.
So that's the water pump? I was confused as the water pump appears to bolt to the big "plate" that the leak seems to be coming out of.
 
AJMBLAZER said:
Damn, not getting notifications again.


Thanks man.
So that's the water pump? I was confused as the water pump appears to bolt to the big "plate" that the leak seems to be coming out of.
Click to expand...

Well it's the same thing, it's the plate that is the back of the water pump, and coolant seems to be coming out at that point.
If you need the truck try to get it tightened up first.
If you can spare some time, take it off and do a good job of sealing it and you can check on the timing chain at the same time.
 
Definitely need the truck. Big Ugly is 2 states away for now. Will have to try and tighten those bolts.
 
It looks like the leaking is coming from between the block and the timing cover could be the gasket or a corroded out timing cover.
 
I've had good results with that copper Aluma-Seal stop leak stuff on seepage like that,it works and doesn't clog heater cores or radiators up..it'll be a lot easier and cheaper than taking it all apart,at lest for the time being until you can fix it "right",but I bet if you add a tube of that stuff you wont HAVE to do anything!..

A friend of mine put used heads on a 350 chevy recently--he got both all torqued down,then realized he'd put the drivers side head on the passenger side!--not a big deal,since they are interchangeable,but the sensor for the temp gauge was now on the rear of the passenger head,and the drivers side had one of those pipe plugs with the recessed square drive thing to unscrew it--it was stuck fast,and he decided to use a torch to heat up the head some,to loosen it--and it finally came out,and he swapped the sensor back in and put the plug on the other head..all was well until he got the engine running and filled it with coolant..the head cracked ever so slightly around the threaded hole for the sensor,and it was dribbling out about 3 drops a second..but no coolant was getting into the engine,it was just an external crack/leak..

Rather than do the entire job over again free,for a customer who's a skinflint to begin with,and be lucky if he'd get paid once to do it,he tried a tube of that mettalic copper radiator sealant,he'd had good luck with it on other cars..it not only stopped the leak,it hasn't lost a drop of coolant in 6+ months,and the owner would have come running back to bitch if it did,believe me!..
 
Where's a guy get this stuff and what prevents it from clogging stuff up like the "old standards" do?
 
I'm pretty sure he got it at Autozone..its a mettalic powder thats copper in color,I have used similar silver stuff called "Aluma-Seal" with good results too,I'm not sure of the brand name on the copper stuff,I can ask my friend tomorrow when I see him and post back here tomorrow night and let you know for sure what brand it is..there's a lot of "copycat" stuff that looks the same,but they dont all WORK the same--I'd only trust the Aluma-Seal and this copper stuff ,myself..
 
AJMBLAZER said:
Where's a guy get this stuff and what prevents it from clogging stuff up like the "old standards" do?
Click to expand...

I was going to suggest the same thing but I know too many people don't like it and didn't want to start a war.
I have used this for a leaking freeze plug, punctured radiator, leaking head gasket, leaking intake gasket, and leaks in the cooling system anywhere that is metalic.
It works great and doesn't clog anything up.
The way it works is when it gets in contact with outside air it hardens to seal, that is why in the cooling system it doesn't clog.
 
Interesting. I just remember the old stuff...little tablets of grey black goo...I think...and dad trying to use it on my first vehicle, the infamous '86 K5, and ending up needing a new radiator AND heater core.
 
I'm no fan of the other stuff like Porter-Seal (ground up Feldspar!) and Bars-Leaks,etc,and all those goopy liquid sealers & pellets usually clog heater cores and radiators up,and dont always seal leaks..the mettalic powdered ones like Aluma-Seal work and are the only ones I'd use,or reccomend to anyone
.."Restore" is crap too,its ground up vegtables!..might as well shred a few carrots and drop them in the radiator..
 
Okay. I found Aluma-Seal in a tube at Advanced Auto today. Seemed like it was the silver stuff, not the copper. I didn't grab it as I am going to check out NAPA and others for the copper stuff.

Keep looking for the copper or go with the Aluma seal?
 
I have used Aluma-Seal many times (the powdered version) with excellent results..I'm not sure who makes the copper stuff,but its basically a clone of the Aluma-Seal...either will work the same..
 
Cool, I'll try and pick some up soon. We're going to do The Blazer's leak this weekend and then start on my buddy's junk.
 
So I replaced the hose. Still leaking but not as much. I need to check the hose again. Started snowing like mad this morning and spent all weekend working on my buddy's car. Sigh...it never ends sometimes.

I was looking at the front of the engine the other day and noticed one of the mounts for the alternator seems to be missing a nut...is it?

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