confusion

[hammer1]

ive got a small coolant leak that seems to be dripping from the bottom of thew lower pulley. it starts after the enging warms up, and drip for a fewe minute after you turn it off.
all this point to the water pump. searches have shown a lot of info about changing the pump, and other stuff to check before taking that plunge. One is checking ot see if the bolts are tight. ( that would be easy )
my confusion comes from this: I overheated last summer, because the Mo-Mo
that replaced my smog pump never bothered to tighten it, causing the belt to slip off. this is the same belt that turns the alt, the smpg pump, and the water pump, right?
if the water pump is behind the fan, how can the smogpump / alt belt turn the waterpump? the belt doesnt touch the fan.
am i missing something?
also, any other sugestions on determining if the pump is going? there is no noise.
hammer

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Should be 3 belts if your truck has A/C; 2 if not. One belt for the A/C only. One belt that runs from the crank to the alt then to the P/S pump. Last belt runs the water pump and smog pump. If the smog pump belt breaks then you get no water pump action either as you found out...

There is also a small hose from the oil cooler that heads into the water pump under the lower radiator hose. When it leaks it gives the same drip pattern as you have now. It is leaking from the time the cooling system is hot enough to build pressure until it cools off enough to stop forcing coolant out. Unless you like swapping heads and/or head gaskets I'd get in there and fix the leak! BTDT...

One of the tests for water pump failure is to see coolant coming out of the hole on the water pump housing. Another telltale is to loosen the belt to it and try to wobble the fan (and the water pump shaft connected to it) side to side. If it wobbles it's toast.

HTH,
Nick

 

[hammer1]

okay...i give up...what is btdt?
thanks for the info..i have some good places to start
hammer

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Been There Done That

 

[hammer1]

update
i gotta use that BTDT, especially when talking about my P/S pump.
did some searching under the tank at lunch today. little dripping, and it IS wet under the weep hole, but not that much. more green liquid at the connection from the lower hose-to-the-pump than anywhere else.
first i gotta tighten the clamps, then i might as well replace the hose.