Hello. Merry Christmas to everyone. I am looking for some help With a potential water pump leak. What are the sign and symptoms of a leaking pump? Also, has anyone replaced one on their own? Is it an easy-ish job? The car is my wife’s 2000 Ford Focus SE wagon. Thank you.
ZETEC and I only notice the spot on the garage floor after she drives and parks it. I am wondering if it may be a coolant hose leak. The vehicle is 20 years old.
It does not surprise me that your 20 year old vehicle is leaking. Radiator, hoses, water pump, etc - all are suspect. Before suspecting/replacing any components you need to put the vehicle up on jack stands and do a thorough inspection to determine the source of the leak.
Exactly, anything 20 years old will wear out, dry rot, etc. I agree I will do a good inspection. I always have a habit of assuming to the worse scenario. Thank you.
Just checked out the car for the coolant leak. No visible drops formed, a little moisture in the water pump area, but no puddles or drips forming on areas below water pump. No visible coolant leaks on hoses or radiator. No visible change in the coolant level either and I check it weekly.
Like I said, this is my wife's car that she drives may be 20 miles a week. I don't want to rush into changing any parts yet until I know for sure what needs to be replaced.
I’d spray the area(s) you suspect are leaking with brake clean. Spray them until they are as pristine clean as possible. It may take a few iterations of spraying to get them super clean.
Once clean, watch those areas for moisture build up to identify the true source of the leak. It may take awhile to find the source but it sounds like you’re already close to identifying it.
When spraying with brake clean, I’ll wrap electrical connectors with a plastic bag to minimize the amount of moisture that could seep in.
Thanks beratta96. I will be cleaning things up this weekend. Thanks for the tip about wrapping the wires, I don't need to cause another issue. Any tips on cleaning around the water pump? The way things are set up it is very hard to get to. Maybe an old toothbrush or tiny paint brush would do the trick?
Three possible sources of leak. Thermostat, water pump, and a cracked plastic coolant tube at the top front of the engine compartment.
Valve cover gasket can be a problem too, if oil leaks down around the thermostat housing. I had to replace both, and a cracked coolant tube too. No more leaks now, oil or coolant.
Okay. I had the local garage check my vehicle. The performed a pressure test and discovered that it was a leak at the thermos housing. Has anyone replaced one? Seems somewhat easier than a water pump. Again, the question, how long can I drive it with a minor leak coming from the thermostat housing? Anyone have any experiences with a similar issue?
@3sons Sorry for not being timely with my response. I've been distracted by holiday related activities. Regarding cleaning around the thermostat....
It's pretty tight around there with a goodly amount of electrical connections. I'd cover the electrical connections the best I could and spray the freak out of stuff with brake clean. I'd do the same with the water pump. Removing the pulley shield will make your covering/spraying efforts much easier.
I didn't see that thread. But yes, I had a "thermostat leak" and replaced the assembly. As Paul says that includes the housing.
The only mechanic experience I have is working on my own car. If I could do it, it must not be too hard. That was several years ago, with an aftermarket part. No leaks since.
Sorry for the late replies. So with my old post the local garage did tell me the thermostat housing was leaking, but I have never seen a leak coming from the area or even originating form the thermostat housing. The leak has always been under the side where the water pump is. Well, yesterday I spent some time under the car, cleaned it up, ran it and then laid underneath and waited and watched. Within a few minutes I seen a tiny drip form from the water pump weep hole. The next step is obviously to change the water pump. I am pretty confident I can do it, but I will have to get creative with my jacks (dropping the engine lower, raising the car, etc). I am using this video as my guide.
I just replaced my water pump on my SVTF a few months ago...while the front was on car ramps.
There's a way to remove & install without having to mess with the motor mounts and any jacks:
All you need to do is remove the four bolts that hold the A/C compressor and use bungee-cord to hold up & away [sorta speak]
slowly wiggle/flip the water pump assembly... will take 20 minutes to fiddle with it... it WILL slide out.... but do it slowly & watch how it slid out.
Because you're gonna try to wiggle it back in the same way it came out. Again for me it took another 20 minutes to wiggle/play before I could bolt it on/in.
It's easier with the motor mount removed. That's what Sue does in the video. Beware of shortcuts. They can put you in a bind. You should also replace the belt tensioner and pulley, the idler pulley, and the belt, all in the same job.
I replaced the water pump/tensioner/belt in my 2002 Zetec wagon in 2018. I dont recall if I had to raise or lower the engine (maybe both) but you definately will not get the water pump out without doing that. You wont even get the pulley off. Supporting the engine with a floor jack and removing the passenger side engine mount is really not that difficult. More recently I replaced the alternator on that vehicle and needed to remove the engine mount for that job too. If you dont feel comfortable or dont have the tools then take it to someone that does.
Lowering the engine is not as hard as you think. Just be careful and don't get yourself pinched. As many recommend, use a block of wood to protect the oil pan. I also put a rag or small towel on top of the wood to add a soft cushion.
As long as the other two motor mounts are still secure, it's easy.
Working under the car does have risk. There were some Harbour Freight jack stands that failed. And there's always the danger of improper placement or use.
I have two 8x8 wood beams that I place under the subframe jack points after the car is on jackstands. Then I stack 2x8 blocks on top of them, until I reach the subframe. If a jackstand fails, the car will fall onto the wood and not me.
Most people trust two jackstands and get right under the car. I like the extra safety. A car can be replaced. A life cannot.
Very important you support the engine. A good way to ruin some bolts and threads is to take a motor mount out with no support underneath I've seen that done too many times.
Rotating the tensioner enough to release the old belt, and get the new belt back on, can be tough. It can take almost 90 degrees of rotation to fully release the tensioner. That means you need a lot of clearance for your wrench to turn. And with only one wrench you may not be strong enough to move it. I wasn't. The old mechanic trick is to hook two wrenches together to get more leverage. I put duct tape around mine to hold them together.
The job is doable safely, if you prepare well. Watch more videos, any you can find.
There's one video where the guy had a seized tensioner, wouldn't budge. He used some blocks of wood and the weight of the car to free it up. Creative.
I don't have an impact wrench, only minimal hand tools. My lug nuts were so tight the short tire iron was not enough leverage. I went to the hardware store and bought a 3 foot black iron pipe. Used that as a cheater bar on the tire iron and finally got the lug nuts loose.
About the 3rd time I took the wheel off, one of the nuts didn't want to move. Even with the cheater bar it was hard. By the time I got the nut off, it was hot enough to burn my hand. The threads in the nut and bolt got damaged somehow. Maybe some dirt got in there the previous time I put it on. I filed the bolt threads down enough to get the nut back on, but it needed replacing. I didn't have the tools for that, so I took it to a shop. They replaced the bolt and nut while doing a brake job.
Beware that unexpected problems can arise with an old car.
Thank you for all the tips. I plan on taking my time and doing it step by step. I don't want to create more issues by rushing or missing a step. I will remove the mount and have the engine prepped to lower if need be. I too have minimal hand tools. Gotta go get some new sockets for this job.
The pump housing seals to the block with a large o-ring which should be supplied with the new pump. Do not use sealer (ie RTV) on the o-ring or pump housing. At install I lube the o-ring with a bit of coolant.
If you look closely at the second pic you will notice there is a 'notch' in the block mounting. This notch is very important to the removal and installation of the pump.
I dont recall having to jar it loose but you may need to give it a love tap or two.
That 1aAuto video is a good guide. I would place a piece of 2x6, etc, between the floor jack and the oil pan to spread the load and protect the pan. Im not sure why she removed the upper timing cover - you dont need to.
Paul
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