Thread: 98 alt bracket leak?

so im losing coolant and a good rate, 1/2 gallon a day i drove it for a 50 mile round trip. and the low coolant light came on.

i topped it off, and went on with my day as i saw no leaks on the ground. the other day when i got my new tires they had the car on a lift, so i walked in and started my usual look see as how often is it on a lift, so im looking at the engine area to see if i have anything leaking.

i see the oil pan is leaking, and coolant on the cradle rear pass side bolt and frame. then the manager yelled at me not to be under my car bla bla bla, ok, so he says he'll look over my car for leaks.

tells me you want to address the oil leak, the coolant leak, or the power steering leak?


so now hes more inclined to let me look under the car now with him there, and my pan is leaking, he says its a rear main seal, im like ok, i just saw it 3,000 miles ago, it was dry. then says the power steering pump is leaking, but its new,(less than a year old) ok and then says and all this is is a coolant leak all over the frame/cradle.

so im looking at the car just before, and i have a few spots on the ground, all coolant. so im looking up and the drip is under the alt bracket i think, up top the only wet spot is if your looking down at the top of the alt bracket where the two heater hoses come out and turn.

sorry so long, thought i'd rant a bit too...next plan after this leak is fixed is rtv'ing the pan.

does the 98 alt bracket have 2 plastic elbows? i was under the impression i only had 1 up top?

so thats a common leak area? as i dont know where else it could be coming from.

tomorrow ill get a better look at it.

yes it is common for leaks. if i had the 98 style.. 1 plastic replacable elbow and one non replaceable metal 1 (u can change the oring) i would just up date to the 99 style it has 2 plastic coolant elbows i reccomend getting them from the dealer. also u have to update the alternator too. used it wouldnt cost too much to do this. i have two here with alternators too bad u ot close. goodluck

its getting done tomorrow, and im keeping this bracket till i get going on the new engine, its going to have a IC on it and i just learned ill need a new style one so the plumbing clears it.

thanks

i just went out and picked up a dorman help elbow set. im thinking i can use the O ring off the extra elbow i wont be using.


any thoughts on using the O ring from the other elbow on the alt bracket tube? is that kosher? i cant see buying a O ring kit just for 1 O ring that i think i can steal and use just fine.

got the alt bracket off, and it would seem it was the top one leaking, found a snail trail under the bracket leading away from the upper elbow. stole the new O ring off the new elbow that i was not using, put that on the alt bracket and all seems to be dry so far.

and yeah the 98 style bracket sucks to get off, i must have been doing the wiggle act for 15 minutes when i saw the top one break i knew i was moving it at least.

Yes the big o-ring off the second elbow is the correct o-ring for the lower cast elbow on a 96-98 S2 (and 99 in H bodies).