91 fj80 water dripping from behind water pump pulley (1 Viewer)

[antiacus]

Strange because it seems to be intermittent, but in the most inconvenient of times my truck gets low on coolant/water and gets hot.

Today when i got home it wasn't immediately dripping but i left it idling until it started up. The leak seems to be from behind the pulley that attaches to the water pump. Not sure how that's possible. Maybe it's originating elsewhere and the "steam" is making it's way there?

Any ideas?

 

[Kernal]

The "nose" of the water pump is behind the pulley, and that is where the shaft, bearing, and seal of the pump is located, so the water pump bearing/seal might have gone bad and is leaking coolant.

IIRC there are also a four hoses attached to the 3FE water pump, one large, three smaller, so if one of those has a leak it might be spraying the coolant back behind the pulley. Either way, sounds like the pulley has to come off to find the source leak.

Here's a link with a diagram showing the pump and the hoses in that area:

3FE Heater hose part numbers? (see photos)

 

[antiacus]

Thanks Kernal - i'll have a better look tomorrow. I'll see if i can post a quick video.

 

[Phildoh]

Many water pumps have a weep, or seep hole, that'll drip if the seal starts to fail. It's like a warning system, instead of full pump failure! And its located right near where you're speaking of.

 

[Kernal]

^^^This^^^ could be the source, there is a weep hole between the inner and outer seals of the shaft, facing downward, so if coolant gets past the inner seal it will drip out the bottom front of the water pump housing.

 

[antiacus]

Not sure how useful this is. It was just barely leaking this morning, but you can see some fluid coming out of the weep hole. Maybe a better trained eye will see something i don't.

 

[Michael Hanson]

I'd replace the pump and gasket.Before it locks up,not pretty ,ask me how I know. I'd replace the hoses to it at the same time. These hoses are very hard to replace any other time without the fan ,clutch and pump off. I'm doing our 1991 as we speak. Mike

 

[Kernal]

Could either above (Mike, antiacus) post up photos of the work as it progresses?

 

[inkpot]

I would not wait too long to fix this, assuming it is indeed the wheep hole dripping coolant. The coolant passing thru the bearing is washing out the lubricant also.

 

[antiacus]

Thanks guys. New water pump will be installed on Thursday. I'll also take the opportunity to finally install my new A/C belt

 

[Kernal]

Are you planning to replace all the hoses attached to the water pump while it's apart?