My tercel has been leaking coolant slowly over the past few months, but just in the past few days, it's gotten worse. Now I can see coolant dripping out from somewhere below the water pump like a leaky faucet. I'm planning to go in there tomorrow, and pull the water pump and see if it needs replacing, or just the gasket, and also the thermostat.
Any suggestions on what else I should do, or watch out for? I've printed out the whole cooling system part of the manual, and it seems pretty straightforward. Any tips would be most appreciated. There seems to be some buildup of calcium or lime in the radiator as well. Should I flush with just destilled water, or are the coolant flush additives safe?
If you have not already - read the recent thread started by Typrus on additives and leaks in the Guides section - quite interesting!
Tom M.
Last edited by ARCHINSTL on Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit." T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates." Mark Twain
ARCHINSTL wrote:I you have not already - read the recent thread started by Typrus on additives and leaks in the Guides section - quite interesting!
Tom M.
oh yeah, I remember seeing that. I'll go read it again.
brianp, with the engine OFF, take a small inspection mirror and hold it under the water pump, behind the pulley, shining a light on the mirror. Play with the angle until you can see the tell-tale hole on the underside of the water pump, an inch or two behind the 'fan belt' pulley which is bolted to the front of the pump. The hole is cast right into the pump and is about 1/8" in diameter.
If you can see indications of a lot of leakage from the hole, then your water pump shaft seal is shot, and you'll have to replace the pump.
I would not replace the pump unless you know that is where the leak is located. Try to find the leak first.
Fill it with water, run the engine untill the system is warm and pressuized and turn off the engine. Now inspect for the leak location, you may even beable to listen for it. If you have, or can rent or borrow, one of those pressure testers it saves time since you can pressurize the system with it cold.
Use the chemical flush to clean the radiator, water will not remove the scale.
Weep hole will tell best if its your pump. Mine was getting leaky before this whole ordeal and I had a spare so I did it.
I doubt the flush (cleaner rather) would do NEAR as much harm, providing you only use it for, say, a half hour. FAR LESS effective for removing gunk, but also far less effective at eating seals and hoses. lol.
I wish there was a chelator that didn't like to chew on seals.... sigh...
RIP 10-07- 1984 Toyota Tercel SR5 4wd Wagen 6 speed
RIP 04-05- 1986 Toyota Tercel SR5 4wd Wagen 6 speed
ok, in the middle of changing the pump, it definitely has been leaking out of that check hole in the pump. Can anyone tell me where to look for the engine block coolant drain plug? The manual says it's on the left rear of the engine, I assume they are meaning as you look at it from the front. I can't find the thing at all. Does it even have the drain tube on the end, like the radiator one, or is it just a plug? Thanks.
Look in front of the oil filter. Its tough to get to. The needle valve has a 10mm and the body is a 12mm if I remember right. You might have to support the body while you loosen the valve if it hasn't been done in a while.
It'll drain all over. Put a big pan under there if you can. And make sure the hole in the body is pointing down, especially if you will be power-flushing, or else you'll soak the alternator.
RIP 10-07- 1984 Toyota Tercel SR5 4wd Wagen 6 speed
RIP 04-05- 1986 Toyota Tercel SR5 4wd Wagen 6 speed
Typrus wrote:Look in front of the oil filter. Its tough to get to. The needle valve has a 10mm and the body is a 12mm if I remember right. You might have to support the body while you loosen the valve if it hasn't been done in a while.
It'll drain all over. Put a big pan under there if you can. And make sure the hole in the body is pointing down, especially if you will be power-flushing, or else you'll soak the alternator.
Ah, so that is what that thing is. Thanks!
Ok, so got the new water pump in there, and everything seems to be fine. I haven't put in the new coolant, or done a flush or anything yet, because I had to cut the old heater return hose (I think it was original to the car). I thought it would be easy to replace it, but it seems the hose is a metric size!! Can anyone verify this for me? It seems to be a 17mm inner diameter hose. Napa only carries US sizes, in 1/8" increments. 5/8" is too small, and I'm afraid 3/4" will be too big. Any suggestion on where to find a hose? I haven't checked other parts stores yet.
brianp wrote: ...I thought it would be easy to replace it, but it seems the hose is a metric size!!...
Any suggestion on where to find a hose? I haven't checked other parts stores yet?
How about any import car dealer - or ask where they get their metric hose?
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit." T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates." Mark Twain
5/8" is the right size. Its a tight fit. You need a couple of molded hoses with a 90° bend. The third hose that has 2 90° bends in it can be replaced with a longer piece of hose made into a loop or three short pieces with plastic elbows. The second option would look better than the first but have many more opportunities to leak. The molded hose from the dealer is about $20+. I haven't tried this but two 90° copper 1/2" fittings from a hardware store inserted into a straight piece of 5/8" hose to hold the shape might work.
I recommend using RTV where the hoses connect to metal, put them on dry to plastic (heat control valve).
I'm planning to go in there tomorrow, and pull the water pump and see if it needs replacing, or just the gasket, and also the thermostat.
