Alright, I believe this is a water pump problem, but I'm just looking for a bit of verification, because it's an odd one. I'm getting a puddle of coolant under the car OCCASIONALLY. It never leaks while it's running, nothing is coming out of the exhaust, and it doesn't ALWAYS leak when I stop the engine. Sometimes, however, I'll get a rather large puddle of coolant start leaking out a minute or two after I stop the engine, that appears to be coming from the front of the engine(not the radiator, but the front of the actual engine, right behind the gears the belt turns)(sorry if that's not very descriptive, I'm not really all that engine-savvy). It leaks for a couple minutes, causing a rather large puddle, and then just stops. I'm not having any temp problems, get about a steady 190-200 temp on the guage, and the radiator appears to be full when I pop the cap, but the overflow tank loses fluid(not while it's leaking, it's already down when I stop the engine). I've been keeping the overflow tank filled up to where it claims it should be, but this could end up adding up to a lot of coolant.
So my question is, does this sound like water pump? or something else? and is it going to be harmful to my engine as long as the temp doesn't skyrocket?
-Bill
P.S. 1991 Formula 305 TBI

 

sounds like a water pump to me .....

 

Sounds water pump to me, too.

 

ok... I've done a water pump before, on 1995 Pontiac Trans Sport minivan... but that one leaked constantly. This one isn't constant, which is why I asked...
Thanks!

 

I have an 85 Caprice with an LG4. About 3 months ago, that pump took a turn south. I had occasional runs where it would only trickle out the weep hole. There were a few times also where it poured out and left a big messy puddle.

 

so as long as I keep the coolant/antifreeze going in, and the temp doesn't shoot through the roof, is it going to be safe to drive until I can get the time to install it myself? Or should I just go have a professional do it?

 

its probably the water pump. is the water just leaking down the front of the motor. if its leaking down the sides of the motor to, then it could be a worped intake. i had this same prob. earlier.

 

I can't even see the leak from above until the puddle gets larger. I can only see it from below, and it doesn't appear to be running down the motor, just coming from the bottom right behind that pulley. I guess it could be, and the trails are just evaporating, so in that case it would be just down the front.

 

ive never had a water pump only leak some of the time. thats why i thought it might be the intake. because when my intake leaked it only did it some of the time. usually after the motor had been running for a while. i just took the intake off and had it replained at a machine shop and the leaking stoped. also check your thermostat gasket because ive seen these leak before, and when they do its hard to tell it because the antifreez evaporates when it hits the intake. but it could still leave a puddle.

 

The weep hole is on the bottom of the water pump "snout", so naturally, you wouldn't see if from the top side.

Judging by your last description, I would say that is exactly where it leaking from, indication, again, faulty water pump.

 

 

nod, that's what I thought... thanks for the clarification! Like I said, I asked because of the sporadic leaking... I always thought that when the water pump went bad, you got a continuous leak.