hard to find coolant leak

[metalrain]

97 pa with a coolant leak.(190,000 miles) The leak is on the passenger side, bottom of motor is wet, dripping off the oil filter, looks like its coming from above that. I pulled the serpentine belt thinking its the water pump (i replaced the water pump 18 months ago) Water pump looks dry, no weeping, everything from the top side looks dry. Its defiantly coming from the passenger side down but cant find the source. Any ideas?

 

[HotZ28]

Have you checked the coolant elbow (Item #323 & #324) from the LIM to the tensioner?

 

[Graysom]

It sounds like your coolant leak may be coming from your heater core, but I would definitely check your coolant by pass 90 degree elbows that are located from your aluminum assembly , there are two of these elbows that run from this assembly, but one that breaks a lot actually leads inside of a hole that is into your lower intake manifold, I would definitely check this first!!!

 

[HotZ28]

All 1996-1997 & 1998 VIN-K (L36) & Vin-1 (L67) had only ONE coolant elbow. The first year the two elbows were used, was 1999. The pic below applies to an 1999 and the one above in post #2 applies to the 1998. I thought we should clarify this, so the OP does not waste time looking for the 2nd elbow, Item #341.

 

[Polewalker]

You might try this pulled the passenger wheel off and the fiber cover on the wheel cover to let you see in the side of the engine. Those little plastic tabs. You have to take off. You can get them at any parts place for $10. So with the break. No big deal

 

[metalrain]

Thanks guys, the elbow looks fine, nothing wet on or around the water pump area. It started as a slow loss of coolant, now its leaving puddles on the floor. The best i can tell, it seems to be near or around the power steering unit. The oil pressure sending unit is wet, then drips down to the oil filter. The firewall is dry, but the passenger side engine block is pretty wet. All hoses look good...What am i missing?

 

[HotZ28]

When you checked the upper elbow, was the engine cold, or warm? There is an o-ring behind the tensioner (Item #337) in post #2 diagram. That is right above the oil pressure sensor & oil filter. Leaks from the elbow and o-ring may not be visible if the engine is warm, because the warm engine will dissipate (burn off) any signs of raw coolant. Most leaks in this area, only happen after the engine cools down, therefore leaving coolant dripping on the floor below.

 

[metalrain]

Thanks Hot, I've always looked under the car after driven and never seen a drip, next morning the floor was wet. Today i didn't drive it, I put the front on jack stands to change the starter. Once i picked the front end up and was under the car, it dripped pretty heavily. I'm gonna go with the bad o ring behind tensioner. I changed the elbow out maybe 5 years ago but think i will change that out to. Whats all involved in getting to the o ring behind the tensioner. Anything else i need to change in there while i have it apart?

 

[HotZ28]

Whats all involved in getting to the o ring behind the tensioner.

All you have to do is remove the tensioner. We have some threads in the forums about using an aluminum elbow as an replacement for the plastic elbow. Do a search for "aluminum bypass elbow". I installed the aluminum elbow, with GM o-rings about 4-yrs ago, and have not had another leak. In addition, try to use a GM o-ring behind the tensioner. IIRC, they are viton, which is more durable to heat/cooling cycles than buna-n.

 

[metalrain]

Thanks for the help Hot, it will be a week or two before i can get to it...I will update once i get it fixed...hope it solves the problem. I'm striving to get to the 200,000 mark, only 10,00 miles to go.

 

[LMG1438]

One thing on the 2 bolts under the altanator one is shorter than the other, don't get them mixed up when you reassemble the parts, i seen a guy reverse the bolts by accident and punched a hole in the valve cover.

 

[LMG1438]

Could the tenisoner assembly have a crack in it ,or the weep hole on the pump shaft? I have a 1998 PA base when i replaced the elbow the 2 bolts under the altnator are different lenghts mark them before you unbolt the tenisoner ,if you switch there places when you reassemble you could punch a hole in your valve cover when they are tighten

 

[metalrain]

Thanks for the heads up on bolt length, i will mark them. Once i get to it i will check the tensioner over for cracks. I was able to check the water pump out closely and nothing coming from the weep hole or elbow. Once i get it tore down i will check everything over. It will be a week or so before i can get to it.

 

[Drakito]

One thing on the 2 bolts under the altanator one is shorter than the other, don't get them mixed up when you reassemble the parts, i seen a guy reverse the bolts by accident and punched a hole in the valve cover.

Truth to this. When I bought my Ultra I found a seeping oil problem after about a month. I thought the valve cover gaskets were leaking and had to do a bunch of other service as well. Once I got it apart I found the hole from the bolts being reversed. I ended up drilling the valve cover out and JB welding a nickel in the hole to seal it back up. That was 3 years ago and no problems since.

 

[metalrain]

An update;
Got time yesterday to get this project done. Replaced the bypass with the metal elbow along with new gm o rings. I decided to replace the complete belt tensioner assembly. Couple hours time. Hope it solves the leak. Thanks for everybody's input. Made the job easy.

 

[SirLukesALot]

I have this exact problem happening in my recently inherited '97 LeSabre. The 3800 Series II is a new one to me and my grandfather didn't maintain it well; it was running rough, burning everything, clearly had been leaking *everything, everywhere* and is filthy underneath. I read up on common issues and subsequently gave it a partial bath (kinda tough, it's got 20 years of oil leaks+dirt road on -everything-) and did the following job on it:

• New LIM clean up/gaskets/thermostat/coolant temp sensor (which I don't think is working-it's pegging the temp gauge when cold)
• New UIM/gaskets
• Plugs, wires
• New water pump
• New O2 sensor \
• Fixed up the vacuum lines/repaced where needed
• Replaced the apparently famously bad plastic coolant elbow with a new aluminum one and new rings
• Coolant flush (have distilled water and flush solution in it now.)

Everything I serviced or replaced was torqued to spec. Got it fired up and it's running quite smooth, I got the air bled from coolant system as far as I can tell.

I looked underneath and there is a solid stream of water (this appears to be the water/flush solution mix, not engine oil) pouring off the oil filter. Sounds like the OP's situation. This is no drip, and it's 100% NOT coming from either the elbow that's part of the tensioner assembly or the newly replaced elbow. It's only leaking when the engine is running. I can't see it coming from any visible part of the new water pump.

I climbed under and the water appears to be coming from the middle of a large hexagonal bolt-looking thing with a central opening that's a few inches above the top of the oil filter. I haven't figured out what that thing is yet. Any ideas what this is or why it's spewing forth coolant?

I shouldn't be complaining, because hey, free car (perfect for my 14 year old who just got his permit)...but getting this car road-safe is eating my free time. Just kidding I don't know what free time is.

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

This is a series 2 engine with the acessory pulleys and the water pump removed, minus a PS pump still on. Can you explain what exaclty you refer to possibly with this as a reference? The elbows are still in, if that helps narrow it. Also, if you do actually come back and didnt flee, you should consider starting a thread to get help since you wont get much by responding to an old post. Those people arent active here at this time and the age of the post makes people skip looking, so I do advise a new thread.



also, my carr is a 99 park avenue
you would find the best help in the buick lesabre forum
Mine has a different intake but what you refer to should be on my engine, I Think. If you manage to come back and see this, hope to see you on a new thread in Buick Lesabre forums.. lol

 

[Roger gene]

97 pa with a coolant leak.(190,000 miles) The leak is on the passenger side, bottom of motor is wet, dripping off the oil filter, looks like its coming from above that. I pulled the serpentine belt thinking its the water pump (i replaced the water pump 18 months ago) Water pump looks dry, no weeping, everything from the top side looks dry. Its defiantly coming from the passenger side down but cant find the source. Any ideas?

Two bolts is all that holds tensioner on pry off is that right

 

[G-430828]

97 pa with a coolant leak.(190,000 miles) The leak is on the passenger side, bottom of motor is wet, dripping off the oil filter, looks like its coming from above that. I pulled the serpentine belt thinking its the water pump (i replaced the water pump 18 months ago) Water pump looks dry, no weeping, everything from the top side looks dry. Its defiantly coming from the passenger side down but cant find the source. Any ideas?

Mine is doing that as well I jst replace the belt tensioner & heated coolant elbow no more leak on the elbow but I see dripping antifreeze coming above oil filter as well under pully under water pump I don't see any dripping around the edge of water pump screws