hey everybody,i recently replaced the water pump and i am pretty sure its leaking.if the water pump is leaking,would steam come from exhaust?white smoke or steam is coming out after the engine warms up. i am not sure if it would appear that the head gasket is leaking or if coolant is getting in oil from the water pump would cause this?i already know i have to replace o rings on pump but don't want to do that to find out that its head gaskets.
head gasket?
- Thread starter ludwig
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The front o-ring on the water pump leaking would run out of the weep hole in the bottom of the front cover. If the rear o-ring was leaking, you would have engine oil coming out of the weep hole.
If the seals on the water pump shaft bearings were leaking, you would get coolant AND/or oil leaking from the weep hole.
A water pump leak shouldn't cause any steaming from the exhaust at all, unless the leak has caused the engine to overheat, in which case it would be a head gasket problem at that point....
It's possible that one of the o-rings on the front cover is leaking, and maybe spraying coolant onto the header pipes, but it seems like that would be easy to see.
Really sounds like a head gasket problem, but I'm not sure if you said you WERE getting coolant in the engine oil or not..
If the seals on the water pump shaft bearings were leaking, you would get coolant AND/or oil leaking from the weep hole.
A water pump leak shouldn't cause any steaming from the exhaust at all, unless the leak has caused the engine to overheat, in which case it would be a head gasket problem at that point....
It's possible that one of the o-rings on the front cover is leaking, and maybe spraying coolant onto the header pipes, but it seems like that would be easy to see.
Really sounds like a head gasket problem, but I'm not sure if you said you WERE getting coolant in the engine oil or not..
i put fresh 10-40 after draining the oil had a gold metallic color there was a foamy tan color drip coming from the weep hole i noticed when filling the radiator with coolant it would get full then slowly bubble down the neck. i see no signs of leaking coolant.but it would take a long time to fill the radiator .then when i think its full.i turn around and the level would drop again.i'm guessing water is leaking out the back of the pump into the oil which turns to steam?steam comes from both pipes and smells of oil coolant mix.the temp gauge is normal. the engine starts good then after it warms it starts blowing steam, running rough, then i stop the engine.i am hoping by replacing o rings on the pump rechecking everything more closely will help.i guess if i do that and it still blows smoke then i know its the head gaskets.this is the first time doing this,but i'm learning some valuable lessons
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Steam out the exhaust is a leaking head gasket.
From what you say about the oil I'd say you have pump seals leaking also.
From what you say about the oil I'd say you have pump seals leaking also.
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Sounds to me like the head gaskets are gone. Steaming out the tailpipe, and it starts running rough....classic head gasket failure symptoms.
You say you replaced the water pump, but you think the o-ring seals may be leaking. There's no way for coolant to get from the water pump into the oil unless the seals on the water pump bearings themselves are bad. Even if those seals were bad, I can't see it mixing with the oil before dumping from the weep hole.. If just the o-rings are damaged in some way, you will have leakage out the weep hole, but it would NOT force any coolant into the engine oil...it would run right out the weep hole. A foamy tan fluid leaking from the weep hole indicates both coolant AND oil.
My opinion, with what you have said, is that you have head gasket leakage.
When my head gasket went, I was getting oil into my coolant, but no coolant in the oil. It turned out to be a small leak around the compression ring of the gasket that was pumping a small amount of oil into the water jacket around the cylinder.
I also had oil leaking from the weep hole, which turned out to be from the bearing seals on the water pump. New head gaskets, and water pump fixed both problems. :yes:
You say you replaced the water pump, but you think the o-ring seals may be leaking. There's no way for coolant to get from the water pump into the oil unless the seals on the water pump bearings themselves are bad. Even if those seals were bad, I can't see it mixing with the oil before dumping from the weep hole.. If just the o-rings are damaged in some way, you will have leakage out the weep hole, but it would NOT force any coolant into the engine oil...it would run right out the weep hole. A foamy tan fluid leaking from the weep hole indicates both coolant AND oil.
My opinion, with what you have said, is that you have head gasket leakage.
When my head gasket went, I was getting oil into my coolant, but no coolant in the oil. It turned out to be a small leak around the compression ring of the gasket that was pumping a small amount of oil into the water jacket around the cylinder.
I also had oil leaking from the weep hole, which turned out to be from the bearing seals on the water pump. New head gaskets, and water pump fixed both problems. :yes:
yeah,i am going ahead with the head gasket replacement.so far i started dropping the exhaust,it seems logical that i will have to remove the crash bars in order to get the headers past the studs.but what is me is when i loosen the mounting bolts that go into the engine should i put a jack under the engine so the holes will stay lined up?looks like i will be asking a few questions during this job.if i didn't ask stupid questions i wouldn't be here.
Try to use genuine Honda head gaskets - they really are better quality than pattern ones and not much more expensive.
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ludwig":a0myegwy said:
Take all the head bolts out but the 2 top outer, spin them loose but still in a few threads. Don't forget to remove the 10 mm bolt at the bottom.
With everything else disconnected, carbs, exhaust, timing belt, rap on the top of the head with a rubber hammer.
Once the seal is broken hit it on the sides outward. The 2 top bolts are supporting the head as are a couple guide pin dowels between the head and block. Once you have it pretty loose from the seal take the 2 bolts out while holding the head.
It has already been mentioned, but I think it deserves mentioning again: USE OEM Honda Gaskets. Do not think you can save a couple bucks and use an after market gasket, because you will pay for it in the end. I paid for that mistake myself and learned that lesson.
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ludwig":1wcxa5nu said:
No need to support the engine in any way to do the head gaskets. Removing the crash guards will not effect any of that....all of the holes will still line up when you're ready to re-assemble. There are still other fasteners holding the engine to the frame, so no worries there. You need to remove the crash guards to get the heads off, anyway.
Be careful to not lose the small oil restrictor when you remove the heads...there's one in each head, on the top edge, in the center. They will probably stick in either the head or the block, but you sure don't want them falling out, and getting lost.
You can take a look thru my gallery pics for some tips on doing the head gaskets. I just did mine a couple of months ago. Just click on the pic below, and it will take you to that. :good:
