It’s still snowing up here in north MN, so the idea of working on the underside of the engine while everything drips in my face was not exciting. I postponed by using 3 gallons of AF for the last 2 weeks till I could get to it. The location of the puddles on the ground looked like water pump… So, I went ahead and bought one. Finally got under it today and pulled the plastic to find that around the pump was clean. But about an inch further down antifreeze was everywhere front and back… I don’t have the needed tool to pressurize the system so, it couold be hoses or timing cover. Never-the-less, I am considering putting in some K-leak or bar’s leak until spring, when I will have purchased the air tool needed and have better weather and a little more time to really look it over.
We only got a little over an inch in southern minnesota so you have my sympathy. I’m not a mechanic but personally I would never use any type of stop leak in the cooling system. If it is that bad you should be able to see where it is leaking from or just run it to a shop for an estimate. What would be inside the timing cover if the pump is on the outside?
You’ve got heater and radiator hoses that are easy. Thermostat gasket, coolant shut off, sensors, trans coolant line, or even the frost plugs to look at for leaks. Shouldn’t be that hard to tell for sure and decide to wait, put warmer clothes on, or just fix it. I’d at least let someone look at it before taking the chance of gumming the system up.
I did use a stop leak for a power steering leak which worked but that was pretty straight forward compared to engine cooling.
My first step w/those symptoms, I’d bite the bullet & replace the water pump. Esp if it is the original water pump. No experience w/your car’s config, but there may be other common sense tasks to do while everything is taken apart, as part of a water pump replacement.
MY Corolla developed similar (but less severe) symptoms a few years ago. Try as I might I couldn’t see where the leak was occurring. No leak from the weep hole. But there was a small puddle of coolant under the water pump area sometimes. Once I got all the stuff in the way removed, I could see right away the leak was from the water pump shaft. Replacing the water pump is a pretty big diy’er job on the Corolla, not to be taken lightly, but I’m glad I did it b/c it totally solved the problem.
I should add that I took over a month to complete this job! Worked on it maybe 2 hours a week, 20-30 minutes at a time. No hurry b/c I couldn’t drive the Corolla anyway b/c of Covid/ Calif emissions testing issues/registration, etc. Taking a long time to complete a job seems to be my specialty … lol …
I think it is time to see if any of your local parts houses have a coolant pressure tester in their loan a tool program… Or have (pay) a shop do a pressure test for you… Or you can just start throwing parts at it and hope one of them sticks, a proper test can/will save you time and money…
If you just like working for free, I have a few projects around my house you could do… lol
My Town and Country’s 3.3L engine had a slow coolant leak. I borrowed the pressure tool kit from a nearby O’Reilly’s. After sitting pressurized overnight, it was evident the leak was from the intake manifold on the front of the engine. I returned the pressure kit, bought a gasket and some RTV, and spent the rest of the day getting it taken apart and back together. Once apart, I saw the leak was both to the outside and into the combustion chambers.
I recall someone at O’Reilly’s years prior said of the Chrysler 3.3 and 3.8 engines that nothing much goes wrong with them except sometimes a leaking intake manifold gasket. I was happy that my local O’Reilly’s had the gasket in stock.
