Good evening,

I started using my diesel again and have found a few problems. I just replaced the dual mass flywheel with a single solid state as well as the clutch assembly. The master cylinder was found to be in good shape. I have noticed a trickle of antifreeze leaking from the water pump. It's not a drastic leak but still leaking; there is still coolant in the reservoir. I've run the truck and it's not overheating, so I assume the block is being cooled. My question is how can I tell if the water pump is still functional with a minor leak or if the leak is a fluke and can be fixed easily. It looks to be coming from right above the weep hole. Any advice or help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

Welcome to FTE! Are you sure it's coming from the pump and not the T stat housing? If it is indeed the pump, I'd replace it. For the price, it's good ins to have a fresh one in there. And if you're going to replace it, why not upgrade to one with a coolant filter. It's a great mod that should have been done from the factory. It takes a little modifying, but nothing tough.

Welcome to <strong>BUS PARTS EXPERTS</strong> - Experience you can Trust!

 

WElcome to the forum. Todd is right. I replaced mine last summer with the one he linked above. Really nice to be able to change the filter - you would be surprised how much gunk is in your coolant system. Also, you can use filters that release the SCAs for you without you needing to monitor it with test strips and such.

To answer your question, you should be able to feel the upper radiator hose and when the thermostat opens it will get hot, showing coolant is circulating. I think that is right. I get confused sometimes on which way it flows, but I think that is correct.

One final thought, antifreeze is deadly to pets. Be careful if you have a dog or such as they will lick it up and it can kill them.

 

I don't know if it's the thermostat housing but will check today. I need to use the truck on Saturday and my primary concern is doing damage to the engine before I can address the issue. But I assume if the vehicle is not overheating the pump must still be working, even if marginally. Thanks for the response. I appreciate it.

 

I ran the diesel today for about 10 miles. It ran great; weather was warm. I checked the leak when I got home and it looks to be coming from the base of this piece I found on Napa. The part in my diesel and the part listed below in the link look identical. Could it be that I have a bad seal in my outlet? If so, that seems to be an easy fix. The coolant leaks from beneath this part down beneath the frame and hoses. It's not much and the truck shows no signs of overheating, but it still needs to be fixed.

Thank you for the help

Here is the link to Napa
NAPA AUTO PARTS

 

Common leak. That's why I asked if it was coming from there. I actually replaced mine with a brand new piece and it warped. Here is a reinforcing ring that is supposed to take out the warp in that neck. My truck actually leaks from this exact spot. It's so negligible that I haven't fixed it yet.

Thermostat Housing Ring

 

Thanks for the reply. I plan to replace the parts next week and we'll update on the results. This forum has been not only extremely helpful, but also relevant.

Thanks again,
ET Cooper

 

I used a little grey permatex when I put mine back together and it hasn't leaked. But be careful not to get globs of it that could get sucked into the cooling system. You have to use it really sparingly if you do at all.

 

I could be wrong but I think dieselsite's neck is stronger. I also used the 'ring' that Todd referred to, no leaks!!

 

That's the neck I'm running. Ordered it with the 203 t stat a while ago. It warped and leaked pretty early on. It's very very small, buts it's there.

 

I have that ring on a pretty old upper housing and it's holding nicely. From what I've read the billet housing can't be used with our factory hoses but Dieselsite has a custom hose w lifetime warranty to make it work.

 

My old T stat housing was starting to leak where the 2 pieces are joined. I didn't go with dieselsites billet housing. Just the stock OEM replacement.

 

A response to previous thread. I replaced the thermostat and O-ring on the water-outlet and no more leak. This was a cheap fix and a lot cheaper than replacing the water pump. Thanks for the advice; diesel is running great.

Eddie C