Short update before I get back after it. Last night after work I got most of the accessories and brackets off. Bottom radiator hose was chock full of corrosion and jelly-like congealed old antifreeze at the water pump connection and the thermostat looks like it is welded shut with rust. It obviously sat for longer than advertised. Doesn't help when I picked it up the radiator cap was left on the battery tray so the system was open for evaporation. It is going to be a good day.
Timing Cover Coolant Leak I've Never Seen Before
- Thread starter tuckfxs
- Start date
-
The cover on my 273 started leaking it was a pin hole. My said put a little JB Weld and it will be fine. I couldn't do that and I pulled the cover. Glad I did, the inside looked like the surface of the moon. The inside was heavily deep pitted all over. Electrolysis is taking place and attacking the weaker metal the aluminum. If it was and outboard motor at a dock you attach a zinc tab. I just added a couple of extra grounding cables the engine along with a kill switch. We'll see how that works.
Once my coffee level is adequate I am sure I am going to find the same thing you're describing once I get the water pump off based off of all the corrosion I am seeing in the inlets and outlets. I am glad I reached out and didn't just do the gut redneck thing I usually would and JB Weld it. It would have been a very short lived fix. Assuming I can actually get it running once I can get it to hold all of its fluids in...lol.
I am surprised at the astonishment at the reaction of aluminum & water. After 40 years industrial maintenance I see an aluminum part I expect to see corrosion, it's just the nature of the beast. This is one place in engineering that gm had a better idea sheet metal timing cover & water pump separate.
cudamark
Well-Known Member
You mean like a slant 6 or big block Mopar....
I take your word for that, I've ever worked on a big block, & it's been better than 50 years since I paid much attention to a slant, back when I had a 61 valiant with 3 on the floor, loved that car.You mean like a slant 6 or big block Mopar....
Dang good I tore into this. Not only did the inside of the water pump look like this.
But I also found that fully 180 degrees of the harmonic balancer rubber was completely missing, I mean daylight all the way through missing, when I pulled it off. If I had gotten the thing running it would have probably exploded.
It can never be easy when you buy someone else's junk. And now we wait for O'Reilly to get the new harmonic balancer in on Tuesday before I can finish putting it back together.
But I also found that fully 180 degrees of the harmonic balancer rubber was completely missing, I mean daylight all the way through missing, when I pulled it off. If I had gotten the thing running it would have probably exploded.
It can never be easy when you buy someone else's junk. And now we wait for O'Reilly to get the new harmonic balancer in on Tuesday before I can finish putting it back together.
I got nothing but respect for the amount of listening and ingenuity going on in this thread. Kudos to you sir.
Well there's my problem. Sure am glad I posted this and asked some advice. What a mess. This is all new to me. I can't imagine this thing was running in this condition. I am hoping that all of the rot and corrosion occurred just from sitting for a long period as suggested. I wont know until I either pull it out and tear it down or get it running.
For now I am going for the get it running and see as it is not on the top of my restoration priority list right now. There is obviously water in the oil. A good bit of it. I found a correct dipstick at the junk yard and it is about four quarts overfull. No milky look though as I had mentioned before. No separation I can tell on the dip stick. Appearance of water on the dipstick at all. But the "oil" feels extra thick and sticky, not slick. Got it all back together today and plan on dropping the oil tomorrow. Before I start investigating spark and fuel and trying to get it running, what is the best way to flush as much of the water/antifreeze contaminate out of the engine? Or should I just fill it up and plan on changing it after I get it running and let it idle for a while?
For now I am going for the get it running and see as it is not on the top of my restoration priority list right now. There is obviously water in the oil. A good bit of it. I found a correct dipstick at the junk yard and it is about four quarts overfull. No milky look though as I had mentioned before. No separation I can tell on the dip stick. Appearance of water on the dipstick at all. But the "oil" feels extra thick and sticky, not slick. Got it all back together today and plan on dropping the oil tomorrow. Before I start investigating spark and fuel and trying to get it running, what is the best way to flush as much of the water/antifreeze contaminate out of the engine? Or should I just fill it up and plan on changing it after I get it running and let it idle for a while?
I would simply do the oil change. Leave the drain plug out overnight and let it drain.
Oil sits on water. As you pull the dipstick out the water being less viscous might be washed off the dipstick.
There is a possibility that the oil pan and or pickup is rusted.
When you had the cover off what did the visible iron look like oily, clean, rusted?
There is a possibility that the oil pan and or pickup is rusted.
When you had the cover off what did the visible iron look like oily, clean, rusted?
The iron behind the timing chain cover was clean of water for the most part. There was no condensation droplets. There was the smallest bit of rust on one tooth space at the very top of the timing chain on the cam gear. The front wall of the motor is completely free of rust. There was still wet "oil" on the end of the oil drizzler beneath the cam gear. After a quick spray with carb cleaner to wash any residue away and to clean the gasket surface, you would never guess there was a water/antifreeze leak into that area. Of course the timing chain stretch tells me the 99k+ on the odometer is at least 199k but we are going to pretend we didn't see that for the time being.
That's why I am thinking that it corroded through while sitting and not ran that way. Wouldn't you expect that id ran with that sort of leak that the hot preshurized water would have washed all of the oil off the front of the motor and then I would have found a rusted mess in there?
Maybe a shop vac will help suck the **** coolant out? Glad ya dug into it!
Good luck. New timing covers available from rock auto.
Good luck. New timing covers available from rock auto.
-
Similar threads
