coolant leak, someone help!

[TLP_280ZX]

ok so recently my KA24DE started to leak coolant. from what i can see the thermostat housing was leaking. o i said eh why not? new thermo and fel-pro gasket. Put it on and when i started to fill the radiator back up (drained it and ran some prestone cleaner through) coolant started to gush out, and i dont mean drip, i mean dush. attach is a pic of where i can see it dripping out the most. since im new to the nissan world and searches have come up with nothing, u guys got any ideas?



a pic i drew on paint



the area around the oil pan thats gushing coolant



the alternator bracket bolt its gushing from



its basically gushing down, note the engine isnt on or anything.

also i checked the oil and its not the headgasket because there is no coolant in the oil. any suggestions?

[super240sx7185]

Its the waterpump leaking easy fix.

[TLP_280ZX]

Its the waterpump leaking easy fix.

is it the gasket or whole pump?

[super240sx7185]

I cant tell form pics but i would replace it if i had it off. Its cheap and a easy fix.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

+1

I think I got a new waterpump for around $30. RTV that b**** up, let it cure, and fire her up. Bleed the system out and you should be good to go.

[StandardProspect]

most likely a bad waterpump.

They spill coolant from the weeping hole to let you know you need a new one.

[TLP_280ZX]

picked up a new waterpump and gasket. im gonna replace it and keep u guys updated, thanks again. called in work just to fix the prob lol

[PapaSmurf2k3]

picked up a new waterpump and gasket.

Hope you picked up some coolant too!

[TLP_280ZX]

lol i have like 3 gallons laying around. so i got a new prob guys. the thermo housing was leaking and it was because the lower bolt was cross threaded. so i retapped the hole and tightened it down. and for some reason it still freaking leaks! but not as much as before, but still leaks! from the lower bolt area, and it is torqued down just as much as the top two. should i rtv the housing?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yeah, RTV the housing, and the bolts too.

[S133P3R]

RTV all that s***.

[TLP_280ZX]

guess ill be rtving shiz afterwork tomorrow

[S133P3R]

-coolant outlet-water pump

should both have RTV.i got that felpro gasket with my pump and just cast it aside, you can get the quick dry RTV too it works pretty good.

[TLP_280ZX]

w

-coolant outlet-water pump

should both have RTV.i got that felpro gasket with my pump and just cast it aside, you can get the quick dry RTV too it works pretty good.

i didnt rtv the waterpump at all and it doesnt leak anything

[S133P3R]

w

i didnt rtv the waterpump at all and it doesnt leak anything

i was just following the write or FSM, i cant remember which. good to know it works either way.

[TLP_280ZX]

RTV the shiz out of it, both sides of gasket and bolts. if it still leaks then i dunno what to do. oh well sooner or later ill be swapping a SR

[S133P3R]

rad. good luck.

[skyline3489]

RTV the shiz out of it, both sides of gasket and bolts. if it still leaks then i dunno what to do. oh well sooner or later ill be swapping a SR

when i got my sr i noticed i leaked loads of anti freeze at the thermostat and noticed the thermostat bell housing was cracked, so i had to get mine welded, now its all good. hope when you get your sr yours isn't cracked

[PapaSmurf2k3]

meh, $5 worth of JB Weld and she's fixed.

[94_240sx]

most likely a bad waterpump.

They spill coolant from the weeping hole to let you know you need a new one.

Water pump must replaced. Don't cut corners and do it right. Seal inside water pump can't be replaced and that's why you have to replace the whole pump. Weeping hole is there to let you know it's about time.

[TLP_280ZX]

meh, $5 worth of JB Weld and she's fixed.

lol sounds like when i JB welded my VLSD coolant line opening so ur saying if it still doesnt work JB weld the whole housing? or just where it leaks

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I was saying if the goose neck is cracked, you could JB weld it inside and out instead of hunting someone down to weld aluminum for you.

[TLP_280ZX]

i dont think the goose neck is cracked? but problem is not solved. i let it idle until warm and had one of those coolant bleeder tools and bled the system. waited for about 5 min and no leak but... drove it around for about 10 min and noticed my autometer gauge was fluctuating a bit, about 20 degrees back and forth. im guessing air in cooling system somewhere? but i mean i bled the system. so i get home and turn off the motor, sure enough its leaking from the same area, but very slowly. let the engine sit for a bit and its not leaking anymore, wtf>???

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Did you clean all the surfaces real well before RTVing it? You said you replaced the water pump right?

[TLP_280ZX]

yes i scraped and cleaned all the surfaces. yes i replaced water pump and gasket too. but that is sealed and fine, doesnt leak.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

wait... what is leaking then?

[TLP_280ZX]

the bottom bolt area of the thermostat housing

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Well, this is the only thing I can think of then. They DO sell thermostat housing gaskets, and you can try using one. Since you said it is coming from the bottom of the housing, I'm thinking that you aren't getting all the coolant out of there, and its mixing in (or washing out) the RTV when you put it on, causing that area to be weak. What type of RTV are you using? I'm pretty sure they make coolant resistant RTV sealant.

So I guess do this: Get the Thermostat housing gasket. Clean the whole area and DRY it as best you can. Apply a little coolant resistant RTV (basically just enough to hold the gasket on while you bolt all that crap in). Let it cure for a solid 8 hours.

If that doesn't work, you'll probably have to bring it to a shop. There might be something going on that you can't see and aren't telling us.

[TLP_280ZX]

i do have a gasket on there. the only thing i can think of is the thermostat didnt really want to seat in housing. i cleaned everything off, scrubbed, scrapped, the works. but back to the thermo idea, if the thermo dropped a little and is pressing against the area of the gasket, then maybe its causing the housing not to seal?

[KantMatchMe]

i do have a gasket on there. the only thing i can think of is the thermostat didnt really want to seat in housing. i cleaned everything off, scrubbed, scrapped, the works. but back to the thermo idea, if the thermo dropped a little and is pressing against the area of the gasket, then maybe its causing the housing not to seal?

I'm almost 100% sure that's whats happening to you. I had the leaking waterpump, changed that out, changed the Thermostat as preventative maintinece and I still had a leak. I wouldn't be surprised if the Thermostat slipped outa the groove while you were trying to get that last bolt in on the bottom and is now leaving a small passage for coolant to flow continuosly...I just put a very thin bead of sealant around the thermostat tohold it in place while I bolted on the housing. That should solve it.