Coolant leak, possibly water pump backing

[Fluxn83]

I saw a little bit coolant from the rear of my engine. I saw a similar post previously and believe it may have to do with the water pump?

[David T]

I saw a little bit coolant from the rear of my engine. I saw a similar post previously and believe it may have to do with the water pump?

There is no way to know what is leaking from seeing a bit of coolant dripping from the bottom of the motor. The only thing you can deduce is that it is leaking from somewhere above that point. It *could* be the water pump but it can also be a lot of other things too (or everything). It is most likely hoses and seals under the intake manifold. Once you pull the intake manifold you just do everything including the water pump.

[Rich]

It looks like your photos are taken from the rear of the car, looking at the joint where the oil sump/pan bolts to the crankcase. In the center.

That area is directly below the water pump.

To see if the leak is from the water pump seal look upward at the bottom of the water pump, up behind the drive pulley. A small mirror and flashlight will help. There is a small hole in the casting of the water pump housing, maybe 2mm in size. The hole is there to drain any coolant that leaks past the seal. If you see any wetness there after driving the car then the pump seal is leaking. In that case replace the water pump.

David's right, getting the water pump changed calls for pulling the intake manifold. He's also correct that there can be other leaks besides the WP seal and some of them are under the intake manifold. A leaky pump is common in any car eventually, including this one.

[sdg3205]

Every Delorean owner should own a pressure tester given the cooling system in our cars is the length of a football field.

Pressurize the system to 15 psi, look for leaks and pressure loss. Usually you can see the leaks immediately, if you can’t, it’s likely in the valley, heater core or the pump the other guys were talking about. If the pump is leaking out the weep hole it will usually only happen as the engine is running.

Also - is that all oil or undercoating?!

[DaraSue]

I've seen leakage down the back of the engine twice in my car. The first time it was a cracked backing plate on the water pump, the second time it was the hoses by the thermostat housing, the clamps had come loose. You can tape a Q-tip to a screwdriver and stick it under the manifold to see if there's any coolant in the VOD.