Thread: Coolant leak behind crank

I need some help here. I've always had a small drip from the passenger side. Tonight I went out and it was pretty much draining my coolant. It's a 98 Gtp. I checked the elbow and it's all dry. Basically from the water pump up is dry aside from the coolant being flung all over. It's pooling up and dripping down out of where I believe my motor mount is. Behind the crank seems all gunked up. Water pump pulley has a bit of play to it. Not much though.

Hmmm let's figure this one out. There's only a few places for a leak in that area, all are right by the water pump and that height of the motor.

First the pump. Weep hole on the bottom. Gasket behind it


Bolt holes. I know the bottom right two that hold the crank sensor are not in the cooling passage, however many others are. When putting a timing cover on, you should put teflon paste on the bolts.


The cover to block gasket. At the two upper holes, is where the coolant flows through the cover and into the motor.


Those are you possible leak points.

or the coolant elbows are leaking. you have 2, a upper one you can see, and the lower one thats buried.


you say yours is a 98 so you have a cast lower elbow, (its part of the alt bracket) the O ring fails on that.

Use an inspection mirror.

heres a how to. http://www.grandprixforums.net/how-c...ows-49779.html your directions are at the bottom of the first post.

you can follow the tube from the heater core hose, down the bracket, and stick your hand in there to feel if its wet. this part gets pretty hot, so wait for the car to cool off some.

you can also use a flash light and a mirror. on a stick deal. check the under side of the top elbow, you may not see it leaking, but once its off you can sometimes see a trail under the elbow and bracket.

clean the holes where the elbows go real good, make sure no old elbow is stuck in the lim, then you buy the dorman help elbows, it comes with 2 elbows, you steal the lower elbows O ring, and put it on your cast elbow.

oil the O rings with motor oil, you can pull the dip stick wipe it on your fingers, then the o rings, then slide them back in the holes. dont use any rtv or anything else, not needed.

Oil ... or vasoline.. I have a tube in teh box.

Wait there is an oring on there lol.

that will work, just steal the O ring off the shorter elbow, the black or purple one, what ever color that is. its the one thats not red lol

Yeah...what the o-ring thief said

When you pull it back off.. see if the timing cover cracked right there.

leaking from the lower cast elbow? you cleaned the hole out good? they get a crud built up on the insides of the timing cover that "needs" to be removed.

and your sure you didnt crack the timing cover where the cast elbow goes? these cast elbows leave that risk for it to crack.

Anyone else laughing?