Small coolant leak, anyone had this?

cisco

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Hi All,

I'm just out under the car while its up on the ramps, and a tiny drop of coolant dropped on my face.

Then I found a tiny leak at the back of the water pump, but not from the water pump sealing to the engine. Its the metal pipe that plugs into or inserts into the back of the water pump, and where that pipe seals into the roughly 2-3cm diameter hole into the back of the water pump.

Looks a bit tricky like there may not be any way to tighten it, and I may just have to remove that entire pipe thing and put in some liquid gasket sealant or something and maybe it just needs a snug fit like that or something.

But I'll go and take a quick photo and show you what I mean.

Anyone had this and know an easy way to fix it? Besides tipping some evil cooling system additive in.

Thanks! Photo coming in a sec.
 

cisco

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.
 

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cisco

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I hope that explains it.

Obviously, you can't move the big right hand thing which is part of the cast block, so the only option must be to move and play with the pipe tube thing that goes into the big cast housing part.

So perhaps does this tube need to be removed and does it just have an O-ring or something that goes on the end, and perhaps mine just needs replacing??

Thanks a lot.
 

CMF_GTRHOLIC

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hmmm.... isnt it the water pump on the other side? where the pulley bolts onto? when my pump on the gtr went water was leaking from the stem under the pulley. when it drips from under there, the whole pump needs to be replaced. may be the same sort of case with this. ie some whole unit of something needs replacing. oh an cisco, did you finally sell your white car?
 

cisco

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Yeah that's the water pump on the other side, i.e. where the pulley is. But this pipe thing kind of plugs into the back of the water pump (via the cast block housing thing).

The water pump was in excellent condition about a year ago or whenever the engine was rebuilt fresh. So I doubt that it has gone.

But I think perhaps an O-ring or something has just worn out which seals that pipe into the housing.

Any thoughts??

Yep I have actually received money now re: the white car. Will update the thread.
 

cisco

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Hmm clever. Yeh thanks guys.

Well this is what I found.

There are two bolts that secure that long metal tube thing to the engine.

I undid both of those and it allowed me to move that tube thing around.

Carefully, I pulled it out, bit by bit, and it pulls right out of the back of the water pump. Its just a long metal tubs insert and they don't seem to have a lot sealing them there. Really weird. But its like the tube is coated with some grease kind of stuff where it slots into the back of the water pump, and that grease stuff kind of seals it. Its not really a water tight fit..

Anyway, with the screws out, I tried to push the tube in further and tighter and then tighten the screws back up. But there isn't enough adjustment in the mounting holes to let it go in further (it can go in a tad further without the screws restricting it. But I don't think its meant to seal by being pushed in tight, Its meant to seal just by its diameter being inside the other housing bit and the grease stuff making a tight fit.

So hmm, shoved it back on, and I'll have to basically drop into a mechanic and say "listen, what stuff do you use to make this bit seal well?". Perhaps there's some common sealant grease stuff that everyone knows about?? Anyone??

Cheers.
 

cisco

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Pah! Just rang up Nissan.

Nissan Australia no longer able to get this part - AT ALL.
Bloody shameful just 10 years after the car was sold here brand new, and even 8 years for 1997 models.

So what I will do is... After the car is registered.. Pull that heater pipe out, get the O-ring off it, then go into AutoPRO/Repco etc and pickup a generic O-ring to suit.

Lucky I have a stupid reliable Australian Fairmont that you can easily get parts for to get around in in the meantime..
 

CMF_evade

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If you need the o-ring I have a spare I could send up to you...but who knows how long it will take to get there and I think you'd want it pretty quick smart.

i could also take a photo of it next to a ruler/tape measure or something

 

CMF_Yom

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Yep. 10 years is the period of which nissan australia has to hold the majority of parts for.

Now the micra is getting on in its life they'll only be ordering in the common stuff. Like rocker cover gaskets.
 

CMF_White Knight

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I have found Repco to be the best for bits and pieces. Do not even bother ringing Nissan for any parts.
Burson Auto Parts also. At least they will have a go at finding out.
Getting to the stage maybe we need a source for spare parts out of Japan/ England.Must be squillions of bits and pieces in both countries.
If I had da money I would buy some wrecked Micras strip em and have a spare parts inventory.
Maybe Cisco we could have a spare parts room attached to our lounge room. Seano could look after it when he was not attending the bar.
 

cisco

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I tell you what, I know what you mean about losing the urge to work. Well done on leaving, and its all exciting for you from here on.

Repco had a packet of assorted O-rings, but not quite the perfect size. I went to an irrigation shop and found the exactly correct O-ring for 44c+GST, a 50c coin did it. Hahah.

So yeah. I have a bit of time up my sleeves also, so I pulled that whole metal pole thing out of the car this afternoon, drained all my brand new coolant from about a week ago. I was surprised to find some quite reasonable rust on most of the end outlet fittings of the metal pipe. Only on the outside though luckily. But still, with my engine being rebuilt so recently this is all stuff that I would have hoped the engine rebuilder would have ensured was fresh and brand new. Quite annoying after a very expensive engine rebuild.

So I started to sand all the rust and corrosion off, and the pipe thing is looking much much better already. Now with the new 44c O-ring and a new bottle of coolant, the coolant leak will be fixed in an hour or so - just having a bit of dinner in between..

Yay I'm glad, that's one reasonably moderate problem out of the way. Now all Ben has to do is fix the oil leak coming from the actual turbo.

I'm going to drop the gearbox tomorrow and bend the pressure plate fingers back into alignment. Also think that the engine seal at that end is leaking. So while I'm in there, I'll rip off the flywheel and replace the seal.

Hey YOM: Where did you pick up that new seal from that you replaced recently???

Cheers
 

cisco

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Allright - Coolant leak is FIXED.

I feel like a mechanic. Its go good having all this time for sure. You can get so much stuff done that would have not been fixed for 6 months if I was at work.

The little 48c O-ring has done the trick. Plus cleaned up the corroded ends of the metal pipe with some etch primer inhibitant stuff. Really bit onto the metal nicely and will slow up and future corrosion.

You could really feel this new O-ring bite in firmly when the metal pipe was re-inserted. The old O-ring didn't have a tight feel about it, you could tell this one did the trick. Have warmed up the car. tested with a load of water first off. Raced the engine a few times.. NOTHING.

So then I flushed the water away and put in some decent stuff. Still not a single smidgen of a leak.

YAY yay yay.
 

cisco

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Rear main engine seal (i.e. other threads :) )

Hey I just rang Nissan again. I asked if you could buy the entire metal pipe thing at the back of the engine, the thing that the O-ring was on. Just because the ends of mine has some corrosion and I would ultimately have preferred to replace the whole thing.

Well yeah you can buy it, but the cost is (drum roll): $281 hahahahahaa. So I have sanded all the rust off the end outlets on mine and sprayed on some etch inhibitor stuff. That will be just perfect. Far out not cheap are they.
 
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