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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9899
Location: Lower Mainland BC | .
I've recently discovered that I have coolant leak at the front of my 56 D500 315 hemi. The water pump was NOS when I installed it in the fall of 2016. Since then it might have gone 2500 miles but not much more. At this point I can not see where it is leaking only that the coolant level in the radiator is down and there is coolant dampness on the harmonic damper and some coolant puddling on the cross member. I think that there are seven possible locations for leakage:
1. The NOS water pump
2. Where the water pump manifold connects to the left head
3. Where the water pump manifold connects to the right head
4. Where the water pump manifold connects to the left side of the block
5. Where the water pump manifold connects to the right side of the block
6. At the coolant neck at the top of the water pump manifold where the thermostat is housed and the hose from the top of the radiator is connected
7. At the left (driver's) side of the water pump manifold where the hose to the lower radiator tank is connected.
At this point, I can't see any actual leakage, just the evidence that it is leaking. Any hints for figuring this out that do NOT include disassembly of everything listed above?
The patient and surrogate (poly) water pump manifold and engine diagram:
Edited by 56D500boy 2020-07-03 2:27 AM
(DaveFsD500EngineShowingWaterPumpManifold.jpg)
(EarlyDodgePolyEngine_ExplodedDiagram_WaterPumpManifold_Annotated.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- DaveFsD500EngineShowingWaterPumpManifold.jpg (174KB - 420 downloads) EarlyDodgePolyEngine_ExplodedDiagram_WaterPumpManifold_Annotated.jpg (148KB - 429 downloads)
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Posts: 13045
Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | I have notised that the blue gaskets from FelPro really don't like water. That is if there is not full contact between the two parts so water might seep in.
Most plausible it's the water pump seal, NOS is no guarantee for a functional part after all those years of storage in an ambient that might be questionable. |
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Expert
Posts: 1740
Location: Alaska | On the under side of the water pump should be a small weep hole to allow any coolant that gets past the internal water seal to leak out. This would be your first place to look. |
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Expert
Posts: 3775
Location: NorCal | The bolts that attach the WP to the block are "wet" they thread into the water jacket. Applying a good pipe thread sealant to the threads keeps water from leaking from under the bolt heads.
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Veteran
Posts: 298
Location: Kalispell, MT USA | Try one of the do-it-yourself UV leak detector kits. Add dye to coolant, put on the fancy yellow glasses and shine the UV flashlight around the suspect areas.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7656010?cid=paidsearch_shopping_d... |
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Expert
Posts: 2519
Location: central Illinois | I had a 1970 300 with a 440 that had sat for 7 or 8 years and it developed a leak at the front that I couldn't locate. I bought a cooling system pressure tester that kept constant pressure on the system while I crawled around and finally located the leak... a bolt that went through the water pump housing into a wet hole. I've used the tester a couple more times to find leaks since then, well worth the money.
https://www.tooldiscounter.com/product/stant-cooling-system-tester-p...
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9899
Location: Lower Mainland BC | .
Thanks for the answers/hints guys. Hope that it is an easy fix (but I doubt it)
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