Got an oil change last week by a very trusted mechanic. After a few days I notice it was sounding and idling rough. Also noticed a little puddle below the front. Concerned I parked it and didn't drive. I moved it the other night and now it appears the puddle was coolant and there's a Knocking noise in the front of the motor. When running it leaks like crazy. Am I to assume water pump is going out? Or maybe just a bad hose, clamp, etc.? The knocking noise concerned me. Just appreciate everyone's two cents worth.
Coolant Leak (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter jimi5Stone
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Where is it leaking from? There is often a "weep hole" on the underside of the waterpump. If it's leaking from there, then yes. your waterpump is going out. Or gone.
- Thread starter
- #3
I’ll have to trace it back. Didn’t know about the weep hole. Thanks. Any better water pump to install if I have to go that route? Or stick to OEM.
- Thread starter
- #4
Would that knocking noise be the pump going out?
Hmmm. What engine do you have? Just an oil change? Or did he do something else?
Did you check your oil level? Before and after the oil change? Have you checked coolant level?
Open the rad cap do you see coolant? Is the overflow working? When did you last change coolant?
Did you check your oil level? Before and after the oil change? Have you checked coolant level?
Open the rad cap do you see coolant? Is the overflow working? When did you last change coolant?
Pictures help a lot. Take a pic from below see if you can see where there is dripping coolant.
The weep hole is really, really hard to see and really hard to get even a pic of. Here's a pic of my spare, slightly earlier 2F, with the weep hole.
Naturally, I would exhaust every other possibility for a leak before I decided to change the waterpump. But you might want to start shopping for one.
It's always nice to have a spare.
OEM is best.
- Thread starter
- #8
Yeah, just a oil change. I did check and everything look's good there. The coolant level was low, but it just started leaking to the point where i noticed it and diagnosed it as coolant. Picture below shows small drip where it comes off. I have a video but can’t get it uploaded.
Just an oil change. It just started leaking bad enough for me to notice it was coolant. So I’m sure the coolant is low.
Dripping down onto the pulleys. Not much help. I’d get some degreaser and spray the entire
front of the engine and clean it til it’s dry. Then take it for a run to get it hot and find out
the exact source location. All you can do is keep wiping it with a rag and looking for the
first leak point. Nice thing about smartphones is I can get mine into areas I can’t see and take pics
of somewhere I can’t actually see. So just stick it up there and all around until you see something.
Basic troubleshooting.
front of the engine and clean it til it’s dry. Then take it for a run to get it hot and find out
the exact source location. All you can do is keep wiping it with a rag and looking for the
first leak point. Nice thing about smartphones is I can get mine into areas I can’t see and take pics
of somewhere I can’t actually see. So just stick it up there and all around until you see something.
Basic troubleshooting.
Cool! So that pressurizes the system, does it have capability to create vacuum too?
That’s a different problem I’m having. Where did you get that one?
- Thread starter
- #12
Yeah hard to photograph. Tonight I filled it up with coolant and started it. I couldn’t see exactly where the leak was. But it looked like the noise was coming from the movement of the water pump pulley. So guessing new pump it is.
No. It is a simple tool and only pressurizes radiators. I have another gizmo that makes vacuum. If your FLAPS doesn't have them, harbor freight will.
- Thread starter
- #14
One thought if I end of replacing the pump. Is there anything else I should replace while in there? Hoses, belts,etc. Thanks for the support!
How old is thermostat? I tend to do it all at the same time. So if I’m doing water pump it would
be t-stat belts and hoses all at once and coolant of course. I never remember when I do these things myself but at least I remember they all got done together.
The water pump makes a kind of metallic scratching/squeaking noise when it’s going. Knocking is a different animal, that’s a rod bearing or wrist pin bearing, and it portends a seized rod blowing through the side of the block.
Listen to some rod knock videos on YouTube, make sure you don’t have that before you take it for a test drive. So much cheaper to pull and rebuild the motor before you fire parts through the side of the block
Listen to some rod knock videos on YouTube, make sure you don’t have that before you take it for a test drive. So much cheaper to pull and rebuild the motor before you fire parts through the side of the block
- Thread starter
- #17
I’ve never had any issues with low oil or oil draining out of the truck. Wouldn’t that be the precursor for throwing a rod or something severe in that manner? I think my earlier diagnosis tying it to the oil change might have just have been seeing the coolant and thinking it was oil. Unless somehow a rod or bearing can go bad without any previous oil level problems?
No, a clogged oil journal or squirter can run a single rod dry, or another part can spit metal flakes into the oil system and damage other parts like rod bearings.
“Knock” is a serious word when you’re talking about engines. Listen to other knocking engines, put a screwdriver on the block and listen to it idle (ear on driver handle), then on the water pump and figure out where the sound is coming from.
If it’s knocking, don’t drive it and don’t run it. A rebuild where you just have to clean some crank bearings and replace a rod is cheap. 300$ - 400$ if you only pay for parts and machining.
“Knock” is a serious word when you’re talking about engines. Listen to other knocking engines, put a screwdriver on the block and listen to it idle (ear on driver handle), then on the water pump and figure out where the sound is coming from.
If it’s knocking, don’t drive it and don’t run it. A rebuild where you just have to clean some crank bearings and replace a rod is cheap. 300$ - 400$ if you only pay for parts and machining.
- Thread starter
- #19
Great advice. Thanks you guys!
I have had water pumps and fuel pumps knock 
Just sayin. listening with a screwdriver as mentioned from MarkMarine is a good idea. Or better yet get a mechanics stethoscope.
https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-stethoscope-63691.html?_br_psugg_q=stethoscope
Just sayin. listening with a screwdriver as mentioned from MarkMarine is a good idea. Or better yet get a mechanics stethoscope.https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-stethoscope-63691.html?_br_psugg_q=stethoscope
