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Had a pretty bad coolant leak recently, and I was pretty sure it was the Water Pump, so I replaced the following:

  • GMB Water Pump + gasket + RTV
  • Hayden Fan Clutch
  • Stant Thermostat + gasket
  • Lower hose and clamps
  • Teflon on the threads

After two weeks of bone dry operation I was sure that the issue was fixed, but today I discovered the leak again. Same locations as before, just a much slower leak. It seems to be mainly in the front of the engine, but also travels to the back. (See pictures below). Is it possible the water pump failed again? Are there other things I should check for? Any help is appreciated.

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Thought I would update the thread. Replaced the pump and the leak has stopped. When taking the pump off it looked like the source of the leak was the bottom seal of the water pump. Last time I replaced the pump it stopped leaking for two weeks, so we will see how long this lasts.

When installing the pump I cleaned the surface until it was immaculate, flushed the system as best I could, and used a Fel-Pro gasket.

Prior to the replacement I put some dye in the coolant so I could use a UV light to better see the leak. I'll put some of the pictures below if anyone is interested.

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I replaced the water pump on my car last Fall and the seal started leaking again almost immediately. I read that 90% of seal failures on new water pumps are due to impurities in the coolant. Gates recommends you aggressively flush the radiator, heater, and engine block separately with copious amounts of water.

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1 - water pump bad seals shaft and bad head gasket can cause coolant leak 2 - Internal Leak An internal leak won't cause a puddle of coolant under your car. Instead, it will be noticeable when your coolant level does not stay constant and you find that you need to constantly refill the tank to keep your engine from overheating. An internal leak could be caused by a leak in the head or block or perhaps a leaky head gasket which lets the coolant escape its system. 3 - External Leak An external leak is the type of leak which is most easily diagnosed. More often than not, when you have an external leak, the coolant escapes and your car quickly overheats. Most likely you can easily spot where the leak is coming from by looking at it; a split or broken hose or a hole in the radiator are two good examples. Leaks in the water pump, heater core, or engine freeze plugs can also allow coolant to escape. These too are easy to diagnose by a visual inspection. You may also find that you have a crack in the coolant reservoir. Since the coolant in the main system is what is keeping the car engine cooled, it will most likely not cause the car to overheat, but it is in this case that you will see coolant pooling under your car when it sits for long stretches of time.

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In you pics, it appears there is coolant on the lower fan shroud. If that is the case, and it's not from spilling it while filling the radiator, I would say radiator hose, radiator, cap, or possibly overflow bottle depending on where that is located.

However, since you replaced the lower hose, have you rechecked the clamps?

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