LEAKS ANTIFREEZE ONLY WHEN COLD??

[SQUIRELL]

ANYONE EVER HEARD OF THIS?? A "COLD LEAK."
MY 82 WAG LEAKS ANTIFREEZE (SEEMS TO COME FROM WATER PUMP)ONLY AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT.
EVERY MORNING I HAVE TO REPLACE 1 GAL OF COOLANT.
DOSNT LEAK WHEN IM DRIVING OR IF SHUT OFF FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, ONLY IF IT SITS FOR LIKE 10 HOURS OR MORE.CANT REALLY PINPOINT EXACTLY WHERE,BUT LIKE I SAID ITS A REAL BAD LEAK AROUND WATER PUMP AREA.
HELP!!!!! :confused: :confused:

[ November 22, 2001: Message edited by: SQUIRELL ]

[ November 22, 2001: Message edited by: SQUIRELL ]

[reddog]

Weird! Try pulling the fan and pully and then after it cools off look around and see if you can find where the leak is. The pump seal usually leaks all the time but you may not be able to tell as the fluid may be slung away by the pully but a gallon a night. That is strange. Check your timing cover to make sure the bolts are tight. Sounds like you'll get your Sherlock Holmes hat on and go looking!

Kerry

[Snakeyes_Tx]

I'm guessing one of two things here... both are hard to see right away so a swivel mirror would be most useful.

* Heater hose going into the pump.. it sits almost horizontal and tends to leak. It's wedged between the bottom of the A/C compressor and the top of the alternator. The heat might make the hose swell just enough to top the leak. Vulcanized rubber seems to hold heat pretty well and doesn't contract very fast.

* Impeller shaft bearing might be starting to go out and water is leaking out of the weep hole to warn you.

[ November 22, 2001: Message edited by: Snakeyes_Tx ]

[andy d]

nother hose to check is the small hose that by passes the thermostat. my wag uses about 1/2 gal a month. im gonna run thru all the antifreeze mix ive drained outta the other cars. and then im gonnsa gert serious about finding the leak,which is prolly the 4yr old waterpump.

[Bob Barry]

I've had the cold-hose leak before; the solution is to keep tightening the clamps.

With that much lost, however, I suspect your water pump bearing and seal; it may be leaking all the time, but you only notice it when it's been sitting.

Does it NOT leak in warm weather?

[SQUIRELL]

BOB,
ITS BEEN LEAKING IN COLD AND HOT WEATHER.
HOWEVER YESTERDAY I TIGHTENED UP THE LOWER HOSE AT THE WATER PUMP WITH A 1/4" RACHET!!
THIS MORNING IT SEEMS TO HAVE DRIPPED ONLY A FEW DROPS.ITS ALSO UNUSALLY WARM TODAY IN N.Y.
WELL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT GETS COLD AGAIN.
THANX FOR ALL YOUR SUGGESTIONS GUYS!!!! :D

[Iron Horse]

Pretty sure your impeller shaft bearing is going like Snake said. Mine did the same thing, just dripping out the weep hole after I shut it off and it had cooled down some. I only noticed it in the morning because there was a wet spot in the driveway.

It will get progressively worse so.....it's water pump time. :D Not a bad job really. It took me two evenings after work to do and this was my first water pump replacement. If you do it just pull the radiator right out, it's MUCH easier.

[Coley]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SQUIRELL:
BOB,
ITS BEEN LEAKING IN COLD AND HOT WEATHER.
HOWEVER YESTERDAY I TIGHTENED UP THE LOWER HOSE AT THE WATER PUMP WITH A 1/4" RACHET!!
THIS MORNING IT SEEMS TO HAVE DRIPPED ONLY A FEW DROPS.ITS ALSO UNUSALLY WARM TODAY IN N.Y.
WELL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT GETS COLD AGAIN.
THANX FOR ALL YOUR SUGGESTIONS GUYS!!!! :D<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Squirrell,
I'm having the same problem. I replaced the thermostat, and afterwards, the smaller bypass hose is leaking where it attaches to the thermostat housing. Replaced the hose, and it's still leaking in the same spot, at the same times. Believe cold weather is a factor, and when it is warm, the hose seals better because it's expanded slightly. I noticed that on the thermostat housing where the bypass hose is attached, at the 6 o'clock position, there is a raised "ridge" going top to bottom that's preventing it from sealing all the way (it had worn a groove in the old hose).

[SQUIRELL]

COLEY,
IT ENDED UP BEING THE WATER PUMP.
I FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY WHEN MY FAN WHENT TROUGH THE RADIATOR ON X-MAS NITE.
DONT IGNORE IT!!!! :D

[Rogue]

something that might interest ya'll if you've never seen them are constant tension clamps. you might have seen them on newer cars and older mopars as the spring style that need pliers to be removed, but the kind i like that are availilbe at napa ( but not cheap ) look like a regular hose clamp with a spring betweeen the tensioning bolt and the clamp. we used these on heavy duty trucks just to prevent cold weather leaks