Water pump doin' my head in!!

Hi guys, so I get the patrol back from getting the new low ratio diffs in and drive probably 300kms until I was stopped at a petrol station and noticed a stream of coolant had run from under the car in the time it took me to fill the tank and pay. So I drove it home and parked it, the temp never rose above normal and it still had some coolant the next arvo when took it off and it looked fine, thinking maybe it was just the gasket that was leaking I re sealed it with some Loctite blue RTV gasket silicone... It never dried after 14 hours and leaked just the same, so I pulled it off again and used a better silicone gasket glue for radiators and such and left it for 24 hours again. it had dried nicely so I filled up the Rad with water to sets it and it leaked again.

So.... am I over torqueing the bolts, or is the water pump stuffed? I am only doing the bolts up with a short maybe 5" spanner and they come undone easier than who they were the first time I undone them.

This hole has a water stain around it, Is it leaking from there for some reason?
Attachment 18567

I filled it up with water to see in the morning if it has leaked out.
Attachment 18568

Let me know if you think I just need to get a new water pump or I am doing it wrong. Oh and I can't get the pulley and clutch off the pump... any clues? I have undone the 4 nuts and nothing happened, doesn't look like it will be coming off any time soon.

That's the weep hole in the water pump which is there to let you know when the pump has seen better days as far as I know. Hopefully someone else will be along with some more info.

oh ok, thanks. Another note is the Patrol was sitting around for about 10 weeks without being started more that 3 short times. could this also play into it?

Pulleys might be rusted on just support the pulley in a vice and tap the centre with a rubber or plastic hard faced mallet

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Originally Posted by MudSlut

oh ok, thanks. Another note is the Patrol was sitting around for about 10 weeks without being started more that 3 short times. could this also play into it?

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nah that wont do it mine has only been started about 6-8 times this year, that kind of damage can be caused but using water or mixing inhibitors, who knows really that could be the original pump

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Originally Posted by 97_gq_lwb

Pulleys might be rusted on just support the pulley in a vice and tap the centre with a rubber or plastic hard faced mallet

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x2, what you need to be carefull of is that some pumps do NOT come with studs to hold the pulley on, you may need to get some more or use the old ones if they are undamaged

Thanks everyone, if the new pump comes with a paper gasket do I need to use the gasket glue also?

No it's a nissan not a holden lol you do have to make sure the surface is clean and even though i usually hit it with a scraper and wipe it down with a rag with thinners on it just to get rid of any grease and crap.

Thanks, I did that the 1st two times... Im getting quite quick at removing the pump now, only took me about 7 mins yesterday :) Thats from totally installed, removing ALT belts, dumping the coolant, removing the fan, all other bolts :)

The water pump pit crew lol
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I was at a mates place a few years back and he had the neighbour helping him with his car .
For some reason i can't remember they were doing something to the oil filter housing anyway he drove around all over the place to buy another one spent $120.
They fitted it and had the same problem oil leaking everywhere so i decided to have a look at what they were doing and could see their was big thick bits of old gasket half sanded down.
I didn't realise the bloke doing the job was half blind and it was in a dark shed with no lights but i had to laugh.
Once it was cleaned up properly it was all good.

Omg, he wasn't really helping then was he? Lol well I've cleaned mine up like new every time. I'm 100% confident it will work this time, I just went and got a new pump :)

Hey mate 12 years mechanical experience I have alway put loctite 515 on any gaskets. The reason I say and do this is that there are 2 machined surfaces and if they don't match up the gasket some times will not take up the difference between the surfaces it's on gotta have a thou difference and bobs your uncle you have a leak. It will never hurt put sealant on it all it will do is save pulling it on and off 5 times.

Thanks miller, I was just thinking about that. Just what I wanted to hear :)

Oh and do I have to wait hours for it to dry if I also use the paper gasket?

Well I'm a bit late but yeah the little hole is to show if the internal seal has perished.

Tap, crackle, pop

As above the hole in the water pump is a "tell tale" that the seals are gone and she needs replacement. As for any sealing silastic, 515 etc these substances are an anaerobic substance which means they set once there is no air. So put some on ya gasket bolt her up and you are good to go. The stuff that squeezes out will remain soft but its not actually doing anything anyway.

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Originally Posted by miller12

Hey mate 12 years mechanical experience I have alway put loctite 515 on any gaskets. The reason I say and do this is that there are 2 machined surfaces and if they don't match up the gasket some times will not take up the difference between the surfaces it's on gotta have a thou difference and bobs your uncle you have a leak. It will never hurt put sealant on it all it will do is save pulling it on and off 5 times.

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X2 I always put some gasket goo in there. I generally use RTV grey, and have never had problems with leaking afterwards. Only issue with the rtv is you need to let it sit with the nuts/bolts finger tight for half an hour so it skins over before tightening up completely.

PS RTV Grey sets quite hard where it pushes out after tightening. :)

Ya good to go straight away with 515 thats the bonus with it as soon as she together haha i have seen many of vehicles come back with a oil leak to find the old oil filter seal still on the housing with the new filter haha

AS a last resort you could use two gaskets

I find it depends on the build quality of the engine if it is a holden crapper sealant everywhere never had an issue with nissans and i don't use sealants as i have seen too many blocked up pickups from excessive sealant over the years .

Yeah ya right there mate but theres not need to put a tube on just a light smear won't hurt anything

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Originally Posted by 97_gq_lwb

I find it depends on the build quality of the engine if it is a holden crapper sealant everywhere never had an issue with nissans and i don't use sealants as i have seen too many blocked up pickups from excessive sealant over the years .

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I dont think I will ever get tired of reading your constant GM bashing

Haha i think he is secretly in love with them haha

Well guys, couldn't have done it without ya's! The frendly pepole atNissanpatrol.com.au have come through once again. Better than what I could say about Nissansilvia.com, would have been trolled off the forum for asking a such question. I'm really enjoying the 4x4 community over the import gathering, much nicer people.

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Originally Posted by Ben-e-boy

I dont think I will ever get tired of reading your constant GM bashing

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lol yeah i have a mate that is ignorant with the mechanical knowledge of a 2 year old and i give him crap every chance i get about poor quality gm junk .
Guess it has become a habit.
I have vowed never to own one again.

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Originally Posted by miller12

Haha i think he is secretly in love with them haha

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A deep seeded hatred would be precise.
Funny though i get called a ford lover a lot for bashing holden junk like it is a natural path but i have never had a bad personal experience with fords in general just diffs in a 2 litre escort .
But i have never really had one long enough to judge them or many of them.

Other then a ford maverick lol had about 4 of them fantastic car