i just noticed that im leaking antifreeze pretty bad. when engine is running, the leak appears to be right by where my belts are. its not pouring out but its leaking good enuff to make my stomach turn.

i called my mechanic and without hesitation he said water pump then followed up with saying that thats an awful job.

what should i do..i like doing stuff on my own but think i may be over my head with this task. interior and wiring is one thing, this type of issue makes me nervous.

 

Water pump replacement on a Ser iII isn't very pleasant but it isn't the worst, either. If you've replaced a water pump on any other car you can do it on a Ser III 4.2

Cheers
DD

 

ive never done it before so im goin to play it safe. i just had car towed to my mechanic. ill let you know as soon as he comes back wit me with the official diagnosis.

he did tell me (based on the location of the leak) almost certain its the water pump but hed call me and let me know once he does full inspectikon if the issue. 3-4 hours labor + parts was what he said i can likely expect.

i may have a new water pump in my parts collection, but i have to wait til tomorrow to see.

sucks...just got done doing complete interior overhaul and lots of electrical.

 

I know how you feel but it's all part of the old car game. At least when you're done with the "fix its" you have a JAG :-). You could be putting your effort into an ordinary car and then what have ya got? An ordinary car !

Cheers
DD

 

its why we play the game....we arent about the ordinary...ordinary is boring.

ill let you know whats up as soon as i get the call today

 

I had that very leak you describe last fall. So over the winter I replaced the water pump. Was it an easy job? No... but certainly a DIY job if you have a place to work on it over a couple days. Id say it took 4-5 hours total. It wasnt difficult as much as it was time consuming.

In the end, the new pump solved the leak.

 

i wish i had the room sneal... i surely have the time, just no garage to work on it. either way, i got the call today and was told, fuel pump and hoses around the radiator were rotted/rotting and my threostat is being replaced. he said radiator is in good shape. the other one i have is aftermarket. mechanic said he is scared to put it in cause its so thin. ill let you know of other details as i get em.

 

If any rubber part on the car is original then it will probably have to be replaced. Especially those that are fuel related. I made numerous trips to NAPA to replace fuel lines in the trunk and engine compartment. A suggestion....add in line fuel filters pre-pump in the trunk. That will save your pump from any debris coming from the tanks. My tanks are restored by Renu and I still put pre pump filters in my car. I also put a filter after the hard line coming into the engine bay but before it hits the rail. Gotta keep those injectors clean!

As for the thermostat... how the heck is your mechanic taking off the thermostat housing? I tried to remove one of those bolts and snapped the head off. What a lousy design. Long bolts into a wet area is sure to fuse with rust. I was hoping to ease them out and put anti seize on them but after breaking the first one (and no subsequent leak) I left it alone.

 

got my guy a new water pump, hoses, thermostat, gaskets and belts. flushed out the system and its running like a champ. cost me just under a grand total.

 

congrats! now you won't have to worry about that for a long time..