Water pump leak

[Bilbo]

I have just fitted a refurbished water pump, cover and bush in the block. As soon as I cranked the engine it dribbled out the side of the block. The new pump assembly slid in easily. The block faces where the assembly o rings are supposed to seal, looks grotty. I tried to clean them up with wet and dry but it still looks a bit rough. I do not know how to post the image. The whole design of relying on skinny O rings on the housing to keep oil and water apart seems daft to me. Questions: is a worn water pump housing in the block a known cause of water leaks? Why does water leak out the side of the block but not oil? Is there a fix (without machining and bushing)? Thanks

[nick]

I have seen others post that after replacing the water pump, water leaks out the slot below the pump. Some have reported that once the parts are run for a bit the dripping goes away. There are multitudes of posts about water pumps on this form. Use the search function and I am sure you will get a more complete answer.

[img][IMG]http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt234/nickmi/TR7%201975/Yellow.jpg[/img]
nick
'79 TR7 DHC
'76 TR7 FHC

[FI Spyder]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bilbo</i>

I do not know how to post the image. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

There is sticky that take you through posting an image. Basically you post the image to one of the many image hosting sites like Photobucket, then link the URL to the post.

While I haven't had the pleasure to work on the water pump (yet) if we can see the condition of the surface were the O rings contact, some may have a better idea if that is of concern. As Nick says a few heat cycles of operation sometimes seats everything. Any time I am sliding in rubber seals be it brake or anything else, I use red rubber grease on them so they can slide in without abrasion and the grease provides that little extra seal until the rubber beds in.

- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[Beans]

That hole in the side of the block is a kind of emergency exit.
When the main seal (directly underneath the impellor) starts to leak the coolant will take the path of least resistance,
the slot underneath the pump. Thus preventing coolant mixing with the engine oil.

The O-rings you mention are only secondary seals, there to prevent oil or coolant leaking between brass cage and block.
The main seals sit inside this bass cage.

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<font color="blue"><i>1976 TR7 FHC (needs some TLC ...)
1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, a.k.a. Kermette)
1981 TR7 FHC (Sprint engined a.k.a. 't Kreng
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[UKPhilTR7]

I remember when we did the same on my 7 with tue pump and all the fittings. As soon as it was fitted and the system filled up, she started to drip from the block. Not much just a drip now and the, but you could see it clearly as the block had been painted and the water marks were clear to see. It came to the print where I was going to take it out again and then suddenly one day it just stopper. As soon as ot started it was finished.

I would say from my own experience give it a bit of time to see it the leak will stop on its own.