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mystery water leak

magvan

Well-Known Member
Local time
8:11 AM
Joined
Aug 3, 2012
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Location
near disneyland
getting a 440 running and it leaks coolant onto the balancer and a puddle on the ground overnight. it doesnt leak when its running. i have looked and looked used mirrors, camera screen, wiped with tissues and cant find anything wet except for the balancer. its driving me crazy. any ideas, something so obvious that im missing it?
 
Water pump weep hole.

DCC-5007643.jpg
 
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i have literally replaced every hose and gasket, everything is dry to the touch and to the eye. the only coolant you can see is on the balancer running down the pass side and leaving a puddle on the ground overnight, pulleys are dry, if it was the weep hole it would drip on the pulley, but i have put tissue in the water pump pulley and it comes out dry, as is the pump itself
 
Run the motor up to temperature, shut down and heavily dust the area with baby powder and look tomorrow and follow the washed off track up stream. Simple and low budget. Sounds like it leaks during cool down.
 
I can't wait for the leak to rear it's ugly head either. I had, (have) a similar problem with my 440. I am with MarPar guessing the water neck gasket. I changed stats twice last year and ended up having to double gasket and permatex my neck. Same exact thing as yours otherwise. I ordered and installed the 3/8 "thick flange" chrome neck from 440Source and still have a tiny leak even double gasketed. I must conclude that the top flange on my pump housing is no longer flat. I will be changing out the original cast iron housing to a new aluminum one in the near future. I keep my fingers crossed for you! The suggested leak testing recommended should force this monkey to the surface.
 
A good practice is to run a single cut fine file over the water outlet and the water pump housing to insure they are flat anytime you replace a thermostat. If both surfaces are flat, a gasket with a little KW Coppercoat, Gaska-Cinch (Edelbrock), Indian Head or Permatex 3-H will seal it .
 
Mancini Billet housing sealed mine. Overpriced, but once and done. Chrome never would seal.
Let the Chevy guys use chrome. The chrome dipstick flaked and caused me to dump good oil in case flecks got in there. Chrome Schmome.
 
Mancini Billet housing sealed mine. Overpriced, but once and done. Chrome never would seal.
Let the Chevy guys use chrome. The chrome dipstick flaked and caused me to dump good oil in case flecks got in there. Chrome Schmome.

Chrome dont getcha home...
 
I haven't had a chance to mess with it been to busy building vw engines. The only place it could be is between the pump housing and block. Everywhere else is totally dry
 
Mancini Billet housing sealed mine. Overpriced, but once and done. Chrome never would seal.
Let the Chevy guys use chrome. The chrome dipstick flaked and caused me to dump good oil in case flecks got in there. Chrome Schmome.
Now they tell me! Actually, I didn't buy it for the chrome, I bought it for the thick flange! Nothing else is chrome on my motor. Thanks!
 
OK, it's shiny BUT, I have used the Billet Specialties thermostat housing with the O-ring seal on three different race cars with great results. No gaskets, no sealer, no mess, no clean up,,,,no leaks. Even after being removed and re-installed with the same O-ring. There are other brand O-ring style housings available and yes, none are cheap but they are well worth the fact that thermostat housing leaks are something else I don't have to worry about.
 
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