Hi all,

My 2001 Discovery seems to be sad. It is dripping tears of coolant on the ground. Not a bad leak. I keep the resevoir topped off and it is Alaska so overheating right now isn't too big a threat.

There isn't any coolant in the oil so it is all exterior. The drip is coming down the front of the engine. It definitely appears to start at the water pump. There is a trail of coolant down the driver's side of the oil pan.

I looked through some of the other posts and wasn't able to put it all together. What is a "weep hole"? Is it normal to lose a little coolant? Is this the water pump going out or just a bad gasket? Should I just get in there and replace everything?

Thanks everyone!

-Larry

 

It is not normal for you to lose any coolant whatsoever. You probably need a new front cover and water pump gasket or maybe a new water pump (if it is in fact leaking from the weap hole). It is a common area to leak from. You do need to fix it ASAP though they can go from a slow drip to fast overnight.

 

There is a hole on the bottom of the pump. when the pump starts to go out, coolant will leak around the shaft inot the front body and out of the weep hole. I would start by replacing the water pump and gasket if you are over 60K. Look around the front cover to make sure it isn't coming from there. Try to see where it is coming from exactly before you do anything, but I realize it is cold out.

You can overheat and burn the engine even if it is 20 degrees out....

 

Not to mention that when the bearings go out on the water pump it the shaft can come out and the engine fan will destroy your radiator.

And if this happens while it is -20 and your inside eating dinner while the truck is running you will also be buying a engine.

 

I appreciate the feedback, all. The Disco has only 45k original miles on it. Only driven by an old lady to church on Sundays and all that. =) So I'm having a real hard time believing it is the water pump. I have checked out some of the other discussions related to water pumps. I will be grabbing some dye and engine degreaser at Schucks. Get it all cleaned up and then find out where the heck the fluid is actually coming from. I will keep you all updated.

 

you might want to pick up a small adjustable mirror at the auto parts store. The way that the water pump is designed, it is hard to see the weep hole from the bottom of the engine. I found that if I removed the fan shroud and positioned the mirror on the passenger side of the fan and above the the stubout of the water pump you willl get a clear view of the weep hole. While at the auto parts store, ask the counter guy/gal to show you what one looks like. It will make finding it on your truck easier. They can go out at anytime. My last one lasted 8000 miles and went from a slight, occasional drip to a serious flow overnight. YOu might want to change your hoses and thermostat at the same time, if in fact it is your water pump. Good luck. Phil

 

So got some work done this weekend. The techs at the local shop are definitely first rate. One of them let me use his tool to get the fan out of the way. I could not imagine trying to get it loose without those tools!

It wasn't the water pump. There was some coolant pooled on the right side of the water pump in a little dip; so it seems the coolant was coming through the front cover gasket behind the water pump. I got in there with a ratchet and sure enough a few of the bolts turned. I tighted everything up and, just to be sure, gave the old boy a dose of Blue Shepard Head Gasket Sealer.

Afterwards, new Dexcool and new thermostate. Thanks all for the bleeding instructions! Got the system air free and pumping heat. Had to top off the expansion tank the last couple mornings but the spot where the coolant was pooling looks clear and "Puddles the Land Rover" didn't seem to be dripping like before.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for success!

 

Thank you for reporting back.