I just posted another question a few minutes ago, but not really much help with the one answer I got. I'm now sure that what part I'm feeling on the back of the engine block is the water pump on my 97 Grand Am 2.4L twin cam POS car. I somehow got my hand back there enough to take pictures to see what I'm feeling. Noticed in one of them that there is a bolt missing! This area was very wet with coolant. Would this bolt missing cause the pump/cover to leak? Makes sense to me. If all the bolts aren't there, then there wouldn't be proper seal, right? Had this engine put in a few months ago. The guy who did it seemed to miss a lot of things.
/i thini it might... I would just get a bolt from a local carquest, autozone, aidauto where ever cant be anymore than 5 bucks... best best better than overheating your engine and getting stuck for a couple of bucks
A missing bolt can definitely cause it to leak. The water pump needs to be torqued to specs and evenly all the way around to be leak free. Miss a bolt and it won't be sealed properly.
they're 2 distinctive areas, -- ninety 9% of the time you purely repalce the waterpump! The housing is kind of the decrease back of the pump assembly! analyze this to having a flat tire- you could might desire to throw the tire away,-- yet you utilize the wheel lower back! As for the leak, it relies upon in basic terms what's inflicting it, - this is repairable, - or it could no longer, -- possibly there's a discrepiency interior the instullation additionally. this might purely be desperate by using an experienced mechanic that takes the time to look and see what's inflicting the leak! working example a chip or intense scratch in mating surfaces might enable leak! -- often no sealer is needed while installation a waterpump, - the gasket usually compenstates for any minor' discrepiences of this style (so sealer might desire to no tbe mandatory)! yet this same concern must be relatively solved with a sprint silicone RTV sealer, - it could fill the scratch or chip and seal it off so no leak occoured! *** it is likewise a possibility that the housing isn't good sealed the place it mounts on the block (or the hoses), - and the housing itself must be solid! Housing expenses greater suitable than pump! additionally finding on what they might desire to do to get it out and alter it, - the hard artwork ought to fee lots! finding on whether you're able (or keen) to take this aside and and examine all of it out for your self, -and see if concern exists, - or is repairable (or substitute housing out yoruself), - you will possibly desire to remember on what the storage says! by using the way in some fifty 5 years of being a mechanic, - I even have seen greater defective new areas than i like to think of roughly,- so there's a threat that to procure a team of undesirable areas too! this is unlikely which you're able to get 4 in a row-- (till some production unit became out 10k - improper contraptions on assembly line), -- yet it relatively is not impossible!
The water pump is on the side of the engine that has the serpentine belt. Don't know what it is that you are feeling in the back of the engine but I doubt it's the water pump. But if you feel wetness there, that's probably where the leak is or it's above that part and just dripping on that part. I would look at the heater hoses that go through the firewall and see whether one of those two hoses is leaking and dripping down.
Yes, a missing, or broken bolt on the water pump can cause a leak. Either way, if you are showing coolant from the bolt hole, or around the gasket area, it is most likely due to the seal not being tight with the missing, or broken bolt. You must check to see if possibly the bolt has broken off, and not merely been left, or worked out. Most times when a bolt appears to be missing, it is broken, and part still remains in the threaded part. If this is the case the water pump must be completely removed to get the broken bolt out, and then install a new gasket, and all the proper bolts. Tighten them to the proper specifications. It doesn't hurt to use a gasket sealer when you install the new gasket. It's messy, but I find the best to be Form-a-Gasket #2. This is a non-hardening gasket sealer, and very sticky. It is actually much better to use than silicone, but not easier. To check to see if you have a broken bolt just stick a pin, or toothpick into the hole to see if it will go deep into the threaded portion of the mount. In your pictures it appears that there is nothing behind the mount lug, so a pin, or toothpick should go completely through the hole. If the bolt is broken off with the threaded portion still in the mount you will feel it with what you use to probe the hole.
