Not a mechanic but thought leak was at thermostat housing. Removed and replaced thermostat making sure to seal with silicone. Leak continued. Seems to be coming from two places. One is at gasket at oil pan(?) and the other is coming from a shaft of sorts…I’m afraid of something really bad.
1996 Mercury Villager with 195K.
Any thoughts or should I just shoot and bury it?
It sounds like the water pump is leaking.
Tester
Thanks for the input. Did some more research and bought the pump. Now, not having ever done this before, but having a shop manual, would you say do it, or take it to a shop? If I do it, are there any tricks, warnings, etc.
BTW - thanks for the response.
Nothing too fancy when replacing a water pump, except that coolant WILL get everywhere despite your best efforts. Even after you empty the radiator and remove the lower hose, there’s almost always more that comes gushing out once the pump is popped off.
Use a putty knife to remove all traces of old gasket from the mating surface; a can of gasket remover is a big help for baked-on pieces of gasket. Use some RTV sealant along with a new gasket when installing the new pump. That’s about all there is to it.
One other thing: When you’re done, be sure to either use a hose and rinse away any coolant that reached the ground, or have a bag of spill absorber handy to soak it up. Dogs and other small animals are attracted to the sweet scent of antifreeze and will lap it up if given the chance
This water pump may be driven off the timing making it a bigger job.