The thing that the water pump bolts onto

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Kevin74

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Hey Guys,

Hope you’ll entertain a rookie question:
On my 273, what is the name for the housing that the water pump bolts onto?
Not the “water pump housing”. Its a hunk of metal between the engine block and the water pump housing.
Mine seems to be weeping antifreeze..
Thanks,
Kevin

88B62C1C-D9DD-415C-A7BE-AD6470109310.jpeg


8CE57E6F-E488-4B3A-8C3A-A0974E3CE37E.jpeg
 
Ben Drinkin said:
Timing chain cover?
Click to expand...
Thank you, sir! Now that I know the word, I see that you can purchase a replacement.

This engine sat for 30 years. When I pulled the freeze plugs, there was several inches of rusty crud. But it runs great!
 
If you see coolant on the top of it; that didn't come from the housing. It came from above the housing like that bypass hose, or more commonly, the T-stat housing.
Do a pressure test.
The only place that housing can leak coolant, is from the tubes that transfer coolant between the pump and the block, which do very occasionally rot. But more likely the coolant is leaking at either of the two long bolts that screw into the block that are open to the inside of the block.
If you take it apart , the cover is probably just fine, or will clean up just fine. Besides; it's aluminum, a couple of minutes with the welder and a file and she's good to go again..
If you do take it apart;
be advised
that each of the 4 long bolts is likely to be a different length, and needs to go back into the correct location. It is possible to put the longest bolt in the wrong hole and drive it into the outside of #1 cylinder and to crack that cylinder, sending coolant forever into that cylinder.
 
AJ/FormS said:
If you see coolant on the top of it; that didn't come from the housing. It came from above the housing like that bypass hose, or more commonly, the T-stat housing.
Do a pressure test.
The only place that housing can leak coolant, is from the tubes that transfer coolant between the pump and the block, which do very occasionally rot. But more likely the coolant is leaking at either of the two long bolts that screw into the block that are open to the inside of the block.
If you take it apart , the cover is probably just fine, or will clean up just fine. Besides; it's aluminum, a couple of minutes with the welder and a file and she's good to go again..
If you do take it apart;
be advised
that each of the 4 long bolts is likely to be a different length, and needs to go back into the correct location. It is possible to put the longest bolt in the wrong hole and drive it into the outside of #1 cylinder and to crack that cylinder, sending coolant forever into that cylinder.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice, AJ. I’ll wipe it clean and watch it again. It sure seemed like it was weeping out of the metal. I know that sounds hard to believe, but I wondered if Father Time had eroded pin holes right through the metal
 
AJ/FormS said:
where exactly
Click to expand...
Hi AJ,
I put a white rubber pencil eraser where the water magically appears from. But as you suggest, I’ll clean it up and then apply some pressure to the system. I guess just running the engine to fully warmed up is one way to get some pressure?

91E3B669-7489-494F-964C-B4685CA30CAE.jpeg
 
There is nothing under there except air, and if running, an oil-mist.
So it's getting there by; drip, by spray, or migration from somewhere else

OK wait, I'm looking at it backwards; that is the pump side, and so yeah, the housing is perforated. I have not seen that before but the good news is that it is easy to fix. Just remove the pump, and either weld up the pits or clean it up and fill with JB Weld.

But it is possible that the entire cover is pitted behind the pump. I have seen that, I was told cavitation started it, and time finished it. If that is your case then just put up a want-ad; some of us have boxes and boxes of good used parts.
 
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Kevin74 said:
Thanks for the advice, AJ. I’ll wipe it clean and watch it again. It sure seemed like it was weeping out of the metal. I know that sounds hard to believe, but I wondered if Father Time had eroded pin holes right through the metal
Click to expand...
You can go to your friendly auto parts store and they will lone you out a cooling system pressure tester. That way you can pressure up the system when the engine is cold, then you can use your hands to find the leak without getting burned.
 
It may be weeping between the water pump and timing cover. I dont think it would weep coolant between timing cover and block as there is only oil and air in there. And the oil would be down low.
 
May be water seeping from here ponding there. Thats what the paint damage suggests anyway.

water leak.jpeg
 
It might be just leaking through the bolt threads. I don’t think this is your problem, but I have seen serious cavitation pits in my cover. Now I’m spinning it much higher and I also have a small AC water pump pulley which is also spinning the pump quicker. The pits had increase at a rate to be a concern. I installed an anticavitation plate on the impeller and cut off 4 of the impeller arms and haven’t had it apart to see if it stopped.
 
Timing cover bolts seeping a bit. The long ones screw directly into the coolant passages.
 
Does it have a hot start issue? You are heating your fuel with the fuel line sitting against the heater hose.
 
If the timing chain cover has corroded at the water passages it can leak water or antifreeze inside the motor into your oil.
 
Take the fan off the water pump off the timing chain cover off and you'll probably put a new timing chain on it and re-clean re-inspect and reseal everything...
 
Yes, I plan on pulling my pump this winter to check. I just don’t want to pull the cover if it is getting worse. The pan gasket isn’t leaking for once!!!!!
 
AJ/FormS said:
If you see coolant on the top of it; that didn't come from the housing. It came from above the housing like that bypass hose, or more commonly, the T-stat housing.
Do a pressure test.
The only place that housing can leak coolant, is from the tubes that transfer coolant between the pump and the block, which do very occasionally rot. But more likely the coolant is leaking at either of the two long bolts that screw into the block that are open to the inside of the block.
If you take it apart , the cover is probably just fine, or will clean up just fine. Besides; it's aluminum, a couple of minutes with the welder and a file and she's good to go again..
If you do take it apart;
be advised
that each of the 4 long bolts is likely to be a different length, and needs to go back into the correct location. It is possible to put the longest bolt in the wrong hole and drive it into the outside of #1 cylinder and to crack that cylinder, sending coolant forever into that cylinder.
Click to expand...


“It is possible to put the longest bolt in the wrong hole and drive it into the outside of #1 cylinder and to crack that cylinder, sending coolant forever into that cylinder.[/QUOTE]”
If a cylinder is cracked and getting coolant in that cylinder, won’t the car run rough? Would not the compression in that cylinder be low due to the crack?
Thanks.
 
alg said:
“It is possible to put the longest bolt in the wrong hole and drive it into the outside of #1 cylinder and to crack that cylinder, sending coolant forever into that cylinder.
Click to expand...
”
If a cylinder is cracked and getting coolant in that cylinder, won’t the car run rough? Would not the compression in that cylinder be low due to the crack?
Thanks.[/QUOT


Water/coolant doesn't compress. Anything more than a shot glass full (depending on head and piston) will break a piston or bend a rod.
 
Furthermore; The cylinder undergoes a very wide pressure change from a partial vacuum on the intake stroke to 100psi or more on the compression stroke
to 600/800 or more n the powerstroke, So you can bet that pressure will blow your rad cap off.
But you might not ever get to this point, cuz what Mike said, usually happens first.
You may hear it running into the pan when you start filling the rad back up. And you'll say bad words cuz that ain't supposed to happen.
 
If your bolts are all F'd up. just get some 3/8 all-thread and cut it into similar sizes and run them in finger tight with some RTV on them, then you can trim them and use them as studs with some nuts. The constant removing of those water jacket bolts wears them out. Ive seen the ends look like burned pencils. Makes pulling the front a little cumbersome (youll need to have some radiator clearance) but youll never lose the bolts or where they go.
 
I don't think I ever did any work up there without dropping the front of the pan 1/2 inch. Even without my 'studs' it was a ***** to get the timing cover down on the buttoned up oil pan. I suppose you could draw it down with the 2 end bolts but much easier to just slide it on, bolt it down and then cinch up the oil pan bolts.
 
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