Water / Coolant leak - please identify where from!!!!
Discussion
Got a pretty heavy water leak - just started this morning -
Please see the very poor pics
The black plastic piece at the front (no diea what it is) is wet on the sticky out bit so the water is dripping - or more accurately - pouring on to that and then falling to the floor - so i'm assuming the hose above it is split. (not the big fat one on the left of the picture with the clip on) but one that isn't shown in the photo
Woudl that be accurate? What is that particular hose?
Its a mk1 1.8 by the way.
Thanks for any help!
Dan
Please see the very poor pics
The black plastic piece at the front (no diea what it is) is wet on the sticky out bit so the water is dripping - or more accurately - pouring on to that and then falling to the floor - so i'm assuming the hose above it is split. (not the big fat one on the left of the picture with the clip on) but one that isn't shown in the photo
Woudl that be accurate? What is that particular hose?
Its a mk1 1.8 by the way.
Thanks for any help!
Dan
Right behind there there are a couple of outlets/inlets from the Thermostat housing - small diameter (10mm?) hoses, so I would suspect that. Or alternatively the gasket between the Thermostat housing could spray out in that direction.
If you whip the induction pipe off its pretty open so you'll be able to see. You could run the engine with the crossover pipe rotated up out the way if you support it (with the maf and filter on the end) and see where its squirting from.
If you whip the induction pipe off its pretty open so you'll be able to see. You could run the engine with the crossover pipe rotated up out the way if you support it (with the maf and filter on the end) and see where its squirting from.
Right big plasticky bit unfastened and lifted out the way (spot my lack of technical terms!)
Revealing this - which looks to me to be where its squirting from.
However to do this i had to unfasten this:
and this:
Can i run the engine with these disconnected just to be certain that it is the hose in pic one that its squirting from?
And - the leaking hose - whats it called so i can order a replacement?
Thanks again!
Revealing this - which looks to me to be where its squirting from.
However to do this i had to unfasten this:
and this:
Can i run the engine with these disconnected just to be certain that it is the hose in pic one that its squirting from?
And - the leaking hose - whats it called so i can order a replacement?
Thanks again!
towelie said:
are you sure it isnt the join in the metal bit of the thermostat housing rather that the pipes leaking? i thought it was the rubber hoses on mine, so tightened it up slightly and it just came away in my hand.. its a cambelt off job if it is the thermostat housing..
Really not sure.... can i run the engine with the two pipes disconbected as above? That way i'll be able to tell for certain. As you can tell my spannering skills are second to none!
MX-5 Lazza said:
You should actually be able to run it at idle with the crossover pipe disconnected. Don't try to rev it as it will just cut out but idle should be ok. It might cause an engine light to come on after a while but it'll go away again once it's all back together again.
It will start but will instantly cut out with the crossover pipe disconnected.No valid signal from the MAF = No running engine.
If the OP unbolts the top cover of the airbox and rotates the entire assembly up they can start and run the engine.
OK Ignore all previous wishful thinking posts about it being a hose!
Its not.
So the metal bit seems to be holed / cracked / split whatever - whats that bit called then - i think its the thermostat housing?
Do i have to replace or is there a putty or sealant I could use?
Its not.
So the metal bit seems to be holed / cracked / split whatever - whats that bit called then - i think its the thermostat housing?
Do i have to replace or is there a putty or sealant I could use?
Edited by Dan_1981 on Thursday 14th April 14:43
'Chemical Metal'
Comes in a Yellow box, like a tube of toothpastt. 2 parts, Mix it up, slop it on, wrap in some kind of bandage and let it harden. Make sure area is dry before you do it. And let it warm up (hairdryer?) and give plenty of time to harden before you test if its worked.
That might do you as a short term fix, but I'd suggest it needs replacing though realistically.
The housing is, as mentioned above, fitted behind all the gubbins that come off when you do a timing belt.
Have you had the belt/waterpump etc changed recently? Might be worth doing it. I can give you a hand one weekend maybe if you fancy doing it yourself, its not hard or too expensive. I suspect you can get a thermostat housing new or 2nd hand from the usual places.
I'm gonna check mine tonight as I remember it being rather corroded and manky lookin, i wasnt expecting that pipes to seal onto the stubs to be honest.
An alternative I've just thought of - loosen the pip clip and slide it down the hose (away from the thermostat) - you might then be able to slide the hose further enough onto the stub, to seal the little leak, and refit the pipe clip? Although it looks like it might be coming from where the 'Tee' join is for that lower hose.
Comes in a Yellow box, like a tube of toothpastt. 2 parts, Mix it up, slop it on, wrap in some kind of bandage and let it harden. Make sure area is dry before you do it. And let it warm up (hairdryer?) and give plenty of time to harden before you test if its worked.
That might do you as a short term fix, but I'd suggest it needs replacing though realistically.
The housing is, as mentioned above, fitted behind all the gubbins that come off when you do a timing belt.
Have you had the belt/waterpump etc changed recently? Might be worth doing it. I can give you a hand one weekend maybe if you fancy doing it yourself, its not hard or too expensive. I suspect you can get a thermostat housing new or 2nd hand from the usual places.
I'm gonna check mine tonight as I remember it being rather corroded and manky lookin, i wasnt expecting that pipes to seal onto the stubs to be honest.
An alternative I've just thought of - loosen the pip clip and slide it down the hose (away from the thermostat) - you might then be able to slide the hose further enough onto the stub, to seal the little leak, and refit the pipe clip? Although it looks like it might be coming from where the 'Tee' join is for that lower hose.
Cheers Snotrag.
I'll try either shuffling the hose up and some chemical metal to begin with.
I wouldn't mind giving changing it ago, but don't have space/tools/ time of work to do it at the moment. I don't get many weekends off from work - and don't want to put you out mate.
The pump and belt haven't been changed in as long as I've had the car - its definitly something that needs doing.
I'll try either shuffling the hose up and some chemical metal to begin with.
I wouldn't mind giving changing it ago, but don't have space/tools/ time of work to do it at the moment. I don't get many weekends off from work - and don't want to put you out mate.
The pump and belt haven't been changed in as long as I've had the car - its definitly something that needs doing.
snotrag said:
'Chemical Metal'
Comes in a Yellow box, like a tube of toothpastt. 2 parts, Mix it up, slop it on, wrap in some kind of bandage and let it harden. Make sure area is dry before you do it. And let it warm up (hairdryer?) and give plenty of time to harden before you test if its worked.
That might do you as a short term fix, but I'd suggest it needs replacing though realistically.
The housing is, as mentioned above, fitted behind all the gubbins that come off when you do a timing belt.
Have you had the belt/waterpump etc changed recently? Might be worth doing it. I can give you a hand one weekend maybe if you fancy doing it yourself, its not hard or too expensive. I suspect you can get a thermostat housing new or 2nd hand from the usual places.
I'm gonna check mine tonight as I remember it being rather corroded and manky lookin, i wasnt expecting that pipes to seal onto the stubs to be honest.
An alternative I've just thought of - loosen the pip clip and slide it down the hose (away from the thermostat) - you might then be able to slide the hose further enough onto the stub, to seal the little leak, and refit the pipe clip? Although it looks like it might be coming from where the 'Tee' join is for that lower hose.
I think you're right in that the split is too near to the 'T' to cover with the pipework.Comes in a Yellow box, like a tube of toothpastt. 2 parts, Mix it up, slop it on, wrap in some kind of bandage and let it harden. Make sure area is dry before you do it. And let it warm up (hairdryer?) and give plenty of time to harden before you test if its worked.
That might do you as a short term fix, but I'd suggest it needs replacing though realistically.
The housing is, as mentioned above, fitted behind all the gubbins that come off when you do a timing belt.
Have you had the belt/waterpump etc changed recently? Might be worth doing it. I can give you a hand one weekend maybe if you fancy doing it yourself, its not hard or too expensive. I suspect you can get a thermostat housing new or 2nd hand from the usual places.
I'm gonna check mine tonight as I remember it being rather corroded and manky lookin, i wasnt expecting that pipes to seal onto the stubs to be honest.
An alternative I've just thought of - loosen the pip clip and slide it down the hose (away from the thermostat) - you might then be able to slide the hose further enough onto the stub, to seal the little leak, and refit the pipe clip? Although it looks like it might be coming from where the 'Tee' join is for that lower hose.
If you don't want to replace the entire outlet (and all the timing belt gubbins associated, just drill out the barb, tap the hole and replace with a brass hose tail.
Ello,
this happens to a lot of these, and was indeed the first problem I had with my car. So I asked these same questions and everyone said 'you should fix it properly, but use some paste (a few choices given)', so that's what I did. The next week I went to Le Mans, and on the way there, having a good time, and BOOM, my top radiator hose explodes from overheating.
There were many factors to this, my radiator was very rusty inside and I think my water pump wasn't doing very well to start with, but putting some of that paste on that joint, either some of it got inside the joint and blocked the pipe a little, or some went through to somewhere else in the system, but either way my coolant system was a sad panda for the next week.
Unfortunately the bolts for the thermostat housing are under the cambelt and so to change it you need to change the cambelt. with the power of the internet and the 1.8 enthusiats manual, I managed to do it myself with no prior mechanical experience and only briefly needing my OH to stand on the brakes. It was much cheaper than getting someone else to do it, but it all depends on how soon you need the car. As it took me a couple of weeks of evenings to get it done on my own, and you probably need somewhere you can leave the car in a very broken state for a while.
this happens to a lot of these, and was indeed the first problem I had with my car. So I asked these same questions and everyone said 'you should fix it properly, but use some paste (a few choices given)', so that's what I did. The next week I went to Le Mans, and on the way there, having a good time, and BOOM, my top radiator hose explodes from overheating.
There were many factors to this, my radiator was very rusty inside and I think my water pump wasn't doing very well to start with, but putting some of that paste on that joint, either some of it got inside the joint and blocked the pipe a little, or some went through to somewhere else in the system, but either way my coolant system was a sad panda for the next week.
Unfortunately the bolts for the thermostat housing are under the cambelt and so to change it you need to change the cambelt. with the power of the internet and the 1.8 enthusiats manual, I managed to do it myself with no prior mechanical experience and only briefly needing my OH to stand on the brakes. It was much cheaper than getting someone else to do it, but it all depends on how soon you need the car. As it took me a couple of weeks of evenings to get it done on my own, and you probably need somewhere you can leave the car in a very broken state for a while.
See Dan!?
Seriously, I think the OP is having time issues and is getting it fixed by someone. But I was in the same position as you and managed it in a day, I've done two now, could rattle if off in a long afternoon probably. Its not hard is it, like you say - and a good guidebook is worth its weight in gold.
Seriously, I think the OP is having time issues and is getting it fixed by someone. But I was in the same position as you and managed it in a day, I've done two now, could rattle if off in a long afternoon probably. Its not hard is it, like you say - and a good guidebook is worth its weight in gold.
I would have loved to give it ago but i'm just short on time at the moment, lack tools and have nowhere to start a job like this - it wouldn't be an afternoons job!
All good excuses eh?
Anyway - crack is temporarily sealed with some paste and car is booked in on thursday for belt, pump and housing to be changed.
All good excuses eh?
Anyway - crack is temporarily sealed with some paste and car is booked in on thursday for belt, pump and housing to be changed.
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