Water Pump Weeping

[1997LRLSE]

@Disco Mike, et al,
If your 30 years of servicing customers was anything like your behavior here, I am surprised you allegedly made it that long. I don’t believe anyone cares how long you were a service manager if you insult and berate them. You seem to like to insult others as opposed to try and participate in meaningful dialog. Reread my question. You have never answered it, even though I noted that point, thereby illustrating your poor focus skills and mostly promoting your ‘look at me, look at me’ mentality. I wasn't insulting you before and quite frankly, I am not now. As anyone reading this thread can tell, though, you are very thin skinned and not open to the possibility that you are rude to others and your posts can be patronizing, at best. Thanks but no thanks. To others, who have volunteered their welcomed points of view, I thank you all and respect your guidance…and I apologize for this post, but maybe it was necessary. We must all have a common interest or we wouldn’t take the time to share with each other. Thanks.

 

[1997LRLSE]

Test

 

[dcarr1971]

How certain are you it is coming from the water pump? You should not have any coolant leaking out of the water pump weep hole. I don't know about other vehicles, but I can tell you that this is a sign that the pump's seals are failing on your Rover.

I learned this the hard way, so I strongly recommend that if you can see coolant coming from the weep hole, you replace the water pump right away.

 

[1997LRLSE]

@Dave Carr...I have no evidence that the water pump is leaking and see zero leakage on or around the pump. I did see a bit of antifreeze on the fan shroud but it appears that that may have been from a failing hose. Replaced that and there are no leaks or drips. I also replaced the expansion tank, which had a small crack in it. Thanks for the input.

Bj

 

[BeemerNut]

Oops is too late, $$$$$

@Disco Mike, et al,
If your 30 years of servicing customers was anything like your behavior here, I am surprised you allegedly made it that long. I don’t believe anyone cares how long you were a service manager if you insult and berate them. You seem to like to insult others as opposed to try and participate in meaningful dialog. Reread my question. You have never answered it, even though I noted that point, thereby illustrating your poor focus skills and mostly promoting your ‘look at me, look at me’ mentality. I wasn't insulting you before and quite frankly, I am not now. As anyone reading this thread can tell, though, you are very thin skinned and not open to the possibility that you are rude to others and your posts can be patronizing, at best. Thanks but no thanks. To others, who have volunteered their welcomed points of view, I thank you all and respect your guidance…and I apologize for this post, but maybe it was necessary. We must all have a common interest or we wouldn’t take the time to share with each other. Thanks.

I'll add my two cents, take it for what it's worth.
I've owned my 95 D1 5-speed since 2000 with 62K miles, now at 126K with a 4.6, other tricks, chip and parts not OEM like cam and exhaust, injectors, intake extension, pre-oiler the hot rodder in me. Made a slow slug fun to drive.
Toss in i'm a licensed A&P mechanic since 1973, gearhead with a machine shop background that enjoys making improvements.
My D1 is heading for the fourth water pump at the moment starting to leak, PO had the first one replaced, all started out as a loss of coolant (not a dropped liner or hoses) that became 10cc puddle every morning. Even with still tight pump bearings i've had pump seal drips become a gushing failure once requiring two gallons to limp home 8 miles.
I knew the risks driving it home vs parked in a ghetto area, had the pressure cap loose reducing the leaking.
At this I still maintained 40 mph with six plus stops and refills plus watching my coolant and oil temps as well oil pressure gauges, i'm not a stock, screw idiot lights and OEM gauges.
Another time the stat would stick randomly at 1/16" max open, your talking 20-30 seconds from normal temps to into danger at 60 mph. Custom 4 row radiator so what.
What i'm saying is, if you can live by watching gauges not factory idiot lights with more attention than you you use looking thru your windshield go for it. Cooking the engine without coolant also cooks the automatic and its seals.
These aluminum engines heat up really quickly, air pockets in the heads and block especially will waste an engine in seconds.

.....~=o&o>.....

 

[1997LRLSE]

Thanks, BeemerNut.

Your reply was very helpful. It turned out that I had a bad reservoir and it was leaking. I hadn't been on this site in a while because of a "know it all" with very poor trouble shooting skills and abrasive demeanor... I still like to hear about what others have experienced and how they repaired their vehicles, so thanks for the input.

BJ

 

[BeemerNut]

BJ,
I went thru thes same problems back in 2000, coolant loss at a very slow rate until the recovery tank leak increased. This the old black tank then replaced with the "better white tank".
Sad to say the replacement tank also started to leak 5 months later.
Next surprise is that crappy hose with Tee's below it to replace.
Overall Rover hoses I find I can tighten down the clamps more every 8 months or until they fail with is a known by owning a Rover.
Power steering hoses the biggest POS both of them.
I saved the fittings and used aircraft hose crimped on, problem solved.
That Sttering box is a total POS, Bendix comes to mind as brand, Ford PU only from 68 to mid 68 had them and sold the rights to Rover.
Leaky input shaft seal a given to fail with past seal kits at $153 now NLA.
I had failures starting at 52K miles in the F250 PU, age being a 68 was not the problem as three kits added to a mint internally box still failed within a year. Cooler with filtered system with magnets still failed after a steering box shop went through it. I was warned by then to change out to the Ford replacement which I finally did. All's well plus no twitchy steering PU at speeds over 100 mph. Hot rodder remember?
Best part my Disco is has grease fitting added 100% every tie rod as well rear diff A arm ball joint. Still tight enery joint at 128K miles.
Added a real rear dirveshaft, rubber joint crap my motor twisted them apart.
Vacuum advance units are crap if OEM, custom rebuilds fro Oz. lasting years not months plus 4 more degrees advance and softer quicker advance. Talking 95 with a dizzy centrifugal advance tuned to the engine.
Yeah i'll catch hell not being a ****** stock Rover owner.
Watch out for that throttle butterfly hot water plate for leaking and failing another sneaky hidden leak as well the heater hoses.
Test the pressure cap or at least check the pressure / vacuum valves and seats for crap under the seat.
I'm far from a "Rover God" just doing my best to keep mine running and away from the dealers, hell too old a 95 they haven't a clue.
Example; ABS fault code I have they or Rover North America do not know what the code I get is to trouble shoot.
A couple complete ABS systems including every Rover relay as spares to later replace and trouble shoot.
Nuff ramblings, Prost.
Carl.....~~=o&o>.....
Humm, must be a reason why Ford dumped the box and used their own ya think?

 

[wolf]

Re: your 97's coolant leak

Hi there;

Just a thought for the future (i.e., when the time comes for that inevitable water-pump change-out) - you will get a lot more mileage out of an actual Land Rover OEM pump than any of the aftermarket (AllMakes, etc.). Yes, the LR OEM pumps cost more but, then again, when yoiu factor in your down-time for pump changes - maybe not?

Frankly, it just seems silly to me that water-pumps have to fail at all - especially in a engine that has been designed with a very slim margin for overheat failure - you would think that they could come up with a substantially more robust pump (i.e., with bearings that last, etc.). Anyway, it appears to be one of those ****** areas of the automaotive industry where immediate built-in obsolescence is still the name of the game for the unsuspecting, gullible John Q. Public! Go figure

 

[alzerom]

Let's see now:
Heads = replace a $100 water pump.
Tails = a complete engine @ $3,000+.
OK flipping the coin. HEADS I win!

 

[BeemerNut]

I must stir this thread a bit more.
My Rover I just had the bi-annual smog test (test only vs regular smog test per DMV),
taking 843 total miles driven in two years plus I took the ram tube base off to design and machine out an intake extension for lower max rpm torque as well coolant lines to reseal the valve covers plus adding 4 hole Bosch injectors.
The engine was kept full of coolant to keep the water pump seal wet, thats what I planned but at three weeks time at reassembly discovered all coolant had leaked out the the bottom hose barb fitting. I added a petcock for easy ssytem draining vs removing the PITA hose.
This was the start of the 16K miles from new pump to start leaking for two plus months doing short drives around town and locallly 10 miles and less.
Keeping an eye on it wasn't a problem being it's winter, cold and wet vs summer to work on it.
Advancing to last month (November), ran out the old gas, added fresh and drove the snot out of it on a 260 mile round trip a lot in the 4-4,800 rpm range then an oil change.
To my surprise at the 75 mile start of the trip and 3rd coolant check I had zero pump leak and even after a 450 mile highway trip.
Yes a replacement pump will be purchased once I locate the lowest price OEM pump and not the **** price of dealerships.
Smod test was 9 HC idle, 11 HC @ 2,500, bunch of zeros on other gases, yup runs super clean with RPI "Tornado" chip installed.
Having way too much fun driving it now after the intake extension modification plus the 4hole injector swap.
While your on a pump replacement I would replace the belt as well the idler tension bearing they are cheap.
.....~~=o&o>......