HELP! massive water leak, looks like it's from behind the crank pulley

[Prawn]

well. ******!

I've got a HUGE water leak, like, running out like a slow tap.

I can't see where it's comming from exactly, but all the hoses are intact, as is the header tank. There's no water visable around the upper part of the bay, but shining a torch down near the crank pulley, it looks like it's pouring out from behind the crank pulley. Obviously I can only see the aux belt and the rest is under cover.

If it makes any odds, I topped it up with anti freeze today.

Does this sound like the water pump seals have gone?

Pretty ****** off with this, as it's due a cambelt and water pump in a month, and I'm ment to be driving to birmingham from Basingstoke tomorrow, so now I've got to take the girlfriends Polo instead!

 

[<tuffty/>]

Plausible that the pump shaft seal has gone.... seen it in metal impeller pumps before even after little mileage...

About the only place it can leak from...

<tuffty/>

 

[Broken Byzan]

Pump is toast by the sounds.Whether it froze and pushed the seal out, or just chose a crap time to fail who knows mate

 

[AudiS3-Turbo]

yea its only the water pump behind the cover at that end.....oh well best do cambelt at the same time?

 

[Prawn]

cheers guys. I thought that was all that could possibly leak in that area. Just realy hoping it wasn't the pump!

All the hoses are fine, so I guess it has to be the pump!

Now I need to find somewhere that'll do the cambelt and waterpump at a sensible price, within a distance I can actually get it to!

 

[jojo]

Pretty ****** off with this, as it's due a cambelt and water pump in a month, and I'm ment to be driving to birmingham from Basingstoke tomorrow, so now I've got to take the girlfriends Polo instead!

Niiick, what you doing coming upto brumingham? Time to upgrade to an S3 mate.

 

[Prawn]

Works Xmas do at the Hilton mate! One of the only places big enough to accommodate all 850 of us in one room!

Looks like I'll have to use the polo of joy until I can afford to get this fixed!

 

[Prawn]

Well gents.

I figured, if it's bust then it's bust and I'll be having a new cambelt and waterpump anyway, so what harm can I do by sticking a bottle of radweld in it and see what happens.....
I stuck in a bottle of this:

And topped it back up with G12, and it's worked!

Leak stopped. I've run the car for 40mins, it's got up to 100 degrees and stayed around 90 just fine, the stat has opened and top and bottom hoses are the same temp.

Question is, can I trust it? or is it likely to be a very quick fix that won't last any time at all?

I'll still get the cambelt and pump done ASAP, but I've got to go to brum today and I don't fancy 100 miles in the polo!

 

[AudiS3-Turbo]

I would not trust that stuff,its a temp job to get you going imop,best get it fixed right or it could strand you in the middle of nowhere !

 

[bengal]

It should be ok but dont leave it in for the 4k when your belts due i would get that done asap and tell the person who does it that you have put this in and they will flush the system which should get rid of it. Having said that iv known people that have put it in cheap run arounds and had no ill effects at all but i wouldnt risk it on a decent car tbh.

 

[quattro1]

i got from bristol to brighton and back relying purely on radweld after cracking my rad on a speed bump in a stupidly low prelude, never had any problems at all with it

 

[Prawn]

Cheers for the advice chaps

I've made it to Birmingham anyway, currently in bed at the Hilton

Car seems to be holding up OK, but I'm having the cambelt and water pump done asap. Just need to get it done as cheap as possible!

 

[jojo]

Car seems to be holding up OK, but I'm having the cambelt and water pump done asap. Just need to get it done as cheap as possible!

Buy the parts and DIY then mate. What time are you heading back? Should drop buy my shop and say hi lol