94 accord 4cyl F22b1 - water pump leak question?

[columnshift]

Quick question for someone else who has worked on a honda F22 VTEC 4cyl (specifically in a 94 accord EX with 236k) - if there's coolant leaking from the front-left wheelwell side of the engine (i see no obvious leaks on the radiator hose, but things are so packed in on the side with the serpentine belt i cant quite figure out the leak origin) that's probably the water pump right?

Are there any hoses leading to or from the water pump on this engine or is it fed internal to the block? (i'm not a mechanic, or a novice at best fumbling thru things too poor to pay someone) If i'm getting a chronic leak here, is this something prone to catastrophic failure/ie DO NOT DRIVE or is this something I can limp along a bit more until I can fix it properly?

I'm not entirely sure but it seemed to go through almost a quart of coolant in less than 100 miles. >_< I didn't measure it exactly but it wasnt long ago I topped it up/few days prior only. It only seems to leak while the system is pressurized/running, not much when sitting so far.


This is an engine that needs a timing belt anyways (and will get a water pump at that time) yet the car is rough enough yes i'm willing to gamble a little just because this is about the worst of all times to have to come up with another $500 to pay someone else to do the job. I'm wondering if I can drive broke/stoopid just topping off the antifreeze daily until I can get to the problem (literally getting to the job that will pay for this and other needs) or if some kind of catastrophic failure is likely. Alternately if I have to drive it to put it in storage the only convenient storage is 240 miles away for the winter. :-/ I am just not sure whether I will be up to fixing the timing belt and water pump this fall making me wonder how much risk i'd be taking...



A second question - is there any possibility there is some kind of loose bolt or bolts holding the water pump in place that (without disassembling huge parts of the engine) I could somehow tighten up, maybe something got loose (or some hose/fitting i cant see??) if that may in some way be adding to the problem... but I barely understand what i'm even looking at right now. I mean if I have to pull alternator and power steering pump off to even get down there i'm about 1/3 through the job already.

 

[JC1]

The water pump is behind the timing cover. You'll need to remove everything in order to access it.

I've changed the timing belt in a civic and the engine design is very similar. Just get it done. It's a waste to start adding coolant all the time.

 

[CHARLIEBRONSON21]

The bolts won't be loose just on the off chance. My water pump gave out on the H22 Civic and they were tight. $30 later and an hour of messing around and I was done. Just make sure it gets timed right.

 

[mk378]

Inspect from under the car to confirm the leak location. There is a metal pipe across the back of the engine that can rust out, there may also be a small hose on that end. If it is leaking from what appears to be the block itself, that would be the pump.

Find someone who has worked on one before, this timing belt job is relatively simple compared to a lot of cars and you should not be spending $500 for labor.

 

[fdcg27]

+1
Find a good indie or a guy doing side work in his own garage.
This should be around a three hundred dollar job with parts.
Honda dealers will often send out service offers of around three hundred to do a t-belt, although the WP is usually an extra charge. Figure another hundred bucks for the OEM water pump from the dealer.
I would not drive the car in this state.
If the water pump shaft bushing is leaking that much, it's going to have a lot of play which could result in loss of correct timing with subsequent engine destruction as the valves hit the pistons.

 

[cptbarkey]

+5 to confirm if its the water pump or that rear crossover pipe in the back of the engine. it runs to the thermostat housing.

 

[artificialist]

Replace the water pump and timing belt ASAP. Timing belts don't resist antifreeze very well, so it could quickly snap.