I have a coolant leak on my Chevy, most likely from the pump gasket. Which would be the better stop gap fix, GM cooling system sealing tablets/ Bar's Leak equivalent tablets, or the powdered aluminum type stuff?
It would be rare for the WP gasket to leak, did you check the vent hole underneath the pump?
Stop leak isn't fixing this if it is, a new pump is the only repair.
Originally Posted By: Trav
It would be rare for the WP gasket to leak, did you check the vent hole underneath the pump? Stop leak isn't fixing this if it is, a new pump is the only repair.
I thought that was called a "weep hole" for when the bladder ruptures. Water pumps supposedly have a bladder in there somewhere - for some reason.
I would stay clear of stop leak since it will plug up the heater core and possibly the radiator.If a thin pump gasket appears to be leaking that bad, I would repair. May even be a longer pump bolt which enters the coolant passage.If that is the case, some permatex 2 might do the trick.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: Trav
It would be rare for the WP gasket to leak, did you check the vent hole underneath the pump? Stop leak isn't fixing this if it is, a new pump is the only repair.
I thought that was called a "weep hole" for when the bladder ruptures. Water pumps supposedly have a bladder in there somewhere - for some reason.
Could well be i don't know. I have heard it called tropfloch, entlüftungsöffnung, drip hole, weep hole, vent hole. No matter its the hole in the pump housing and when the internal pump seal fails its going to drip.
Quote:
The vent allows atmospheric pressure into the pump and the seal remains seated.
Originally Posted By: Warstud
I've always called it a entlüftungsöffnung.
Thanks! I just spit beer all over my computer monitor!
Seriously though, If you have a seal leaking on the water pump, none of the stop leak additives are going to help. It is a lip seal with a shaft that rotates in it, the stop leak isn't able to cling to the leaking area to seal the leak.
If you had a small leak in a radiator , heater core, or external head gasket leak, A product like Bars or the Gm stop leak might work for a while.
The GM and the Bars Leak Powder are one in the same.
I also had a gasket leak years ago and the seal tabs helped. I made sure that when that waterpump was replaced I used the plastic felpro gasket. It's been in for ~70k and it's clean as a whistle.