Weep hole?

[wirelessF]

I've been smelling antifreeze in the engine bay whenever it's cold. Someone told me that there is a weep hole in the water pump that leaks out coolant when the pump is about to go bad. Is it true? The manual says to change the water pump and timing belt at 90K. I have 68K on the truck. Plus it's driven by the timing belt.

Also I'm running a higher ratio of water to antifreeze (12 qt system - 4qt coolant/8qt water.) Could that also cause weep hole leakage?

 

[JHZR2]

more water may be the problem... are you 100% sure your radiator cap is perfect? That would be my first guess... a tiny bit of seepage past the seal under pressure might be the issue. Toyota radiators are also generally poor and unreliable. are you sure it isnt developing a leak?

Sometimes on the top on one side there is a small rubber plug that closes off the radiator (dont know why they are there)... this plug sometimes starts to get old and crack, cauing a slight amount of seepage.

Good luck

 

[punisher]

Most, not all, pumps have a weep hole between the seal and the bearing so as to keep water out of the bearing when the seal starts to weep. Sort of an early warning system.

Yes, running less than advised percentage of antifreeze/coolant can (not will) contribute to early seal failure. Coolant contains seal lubricants (silicates in the older mixes) and other ingredients to maintain seal integrity.

 

[Quest]

When your water pump weep hole starting to become wet due to coolant leak, it's a sure sign that your water pump shaft seal is past it's prime and in need of a replacement.

More often than not, newly made water pumps with inferior components (particularly bearings) will seize/fail unexpectedly or squeak even when the weep hole is still good (no wetness).

So, the bottomline is: with the time involved in RE & RE for timing belt, it's always a good, if not standard practice to have the water pump replaced along the way so as to give your cooling system a fresh start in life. This will surely help in keeping your vehicle on the road with less possibility of water pump failure.

high water ratio has nothing to do with weep hole for when and if the seal and the shaft's mating surface begins to fail, nothing can stop them from failing.

Also: keeping your cooling system flushed with fresh coolant (ethlyene glycol) on a regular basis helps to keep your internal cooling passages from corrosion, which also translates to longer water pump life due to less debris and corrosion that would have damage the pump shaft and the seal.

Q.

 

[Kestas]

First verify where the coolant is leaking. One cold weather problem is when aluminum and plastic shrink away from the hoses allowing leaks to occur.

 

[mechtech2]

YOu might see a little residue around the pump's weep hole [if it has one]. This can be normal and can last another 50,000 miles.
Wetness is no good, however.
But at this point, we do not know what is leaking, if anything.
A keen eye, a pressure test, or a dye test is in order.
[Or a bottle of 'Bars Leak'.

 

[H2GURU]

If you've just been to the Toyota dealer, they all say that "your water pump is leaking" and its nothing to worry about unless its a stream. If its the Toyota you're speaking about make sure you're using the Toyota RED coolant only! I would stick with the 50/50 ratio as this gives more corrosion protection as well.

 

[Papa Bear]

Fly me over to Hawaii for a couple of weeks and I'll check it for you.