I have an 86 SE, and a few months ago I was going to take it out for the weekend and I started hearing the belt squeal. Popped the back, and saw coolant spraying everywhere. A few weeks before that I had noticed a small pool of coolant underneath near the back right tire. I'm going to assume that my water pump is bad? Just trying to get some ideas before I tackle it and replace it. It does have the 2.8 liter v6.

It's hard to really tell unless you get in there and look, but it could be anything from a busted cooling hose, to a failed waterpump. I've never seen a waterpump spray coolant... that's usually when a host is under pressure and springs a leak, but it could be. Can you take some pictures?

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: It's hard to really tell unless you get in there and look, but it could be anything from a busted cooling hose, to a failed waterpump. I've never seen a waterpump spray coolant... that's usually when a host is under pressure and springs a leak, but it could be. Can you take some pictures?

I can try. it's hard to see in there ha!

quote Originally posted by Salsapants: I'm going to assume that my water pump is bad? Just trying to get some ideas before I tackle it and replace it.

You may as well read my thread about the same situation. Pay special attention to the use of "the clamp".

Where the heck is this coolant leaking from?

quote Originally posted by Patrick: Speaking about the clamp, I have never seen an image anywhere on the 'net (including Pennock's) of one actually being used. Behold...this is where it goes! CLICK FOR FULL SIZE And yes, you install the clamp before you loosen any water pump bolts!

A) your pump may be bad- seized and the belt is sliding on the pulley...

B) One of your hoses may have sprung a leak and spraying coolant on the belt/pulley, causing it to slip...

C) If you replace the water pump- be very gentle with the small bolts on the pump- they screw into the front cover which is aluminum and can easily strip out the threads. Also, make sure that your new water pump has a METAL impeller- if you get one that is plastic, the impeller will expand in the hot coolant and slip on the metal shaft.

quote Originally posted by Patrick: You may as well read my thread about the same situation. Pay special attention to the use of "the clamp". Where the heck is this coolant leaking from? [QUOTE]Originally posted by Patrick: Speaking about the clamp, I have never seen an image anywhere on the 'net (including Pennock's) of one actually being used. Behold...this is where it goes! CLICK FOR FULL SIZE And yes, you install the clamp before you loosen any water pump bolts!

[/QUOTE]

Where's the clamp? I can't tell from the picture.

quote Originally posted by Salsapants: Where's the clamp? I can't tell from the picture.

Look through the thread I linked to.

quote Where's the clamp? I can't tell from the picture.

Another Type of CLAMP to Hold the Timing Cover

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Original Owner of a Silver '88 GT
Under 'Production Refurbishment' @ 136k Miles

So I got some time to do some digging, and I noticed when I put some water in, it's immediately leaking. I can't get under far enough to see where it's coming from, but I don't know if this helps any.

quote Originally posted by Salsapants: I can't get under far enough to see where it's coming from...

Well, the rest of us certainly don't have any better of a vantage point.


I know you read the thread I earlier linked to from start to finish, but here's a pertinent post.

quote Originally posted by Patrick Here: Okay, I got a bunch of stuff out of the way (including the water pump pulley) so I could see better, and by using a mirror from the top I can see moisture that has come out the weep hole. I'm quite surprised that this didn't result in the backside of the pulley getting wet, but it appeared to stay dry which threw me off the trail. Coolant came out of the weep hole, ran along the underside of the impeller hub towards the timing cover, and then ran straight down behind the harmonic balancer and out at the bottom.