Coolant Leak/Drip From Bell Housing

[Bob Greenhaus]

I installed a small catch pan under the bell housing to catch what I thought was an oil leak from the rear main seal. I asked my mechanic to drop and clean the oil pan and take a look at the rear main leak. He told me that he found the small drip pan full of coolant, not oil. No coolant was found in the oil pan - which was cleaner than feared. There is no sign of any head gasket leak or where the coolant is coming from. Any ideas?

 

[Bob from Northport]

Gotta be leaking from the back of the head where you can not see it

 

[Bob Greenhaus]

That was the thought. Can't see any sign of it. I suppose we'll have to pull the head and replace the gasket?

 

[Truckerjim]

Pull floor boards and look from there it might help.

 

[jm29henry]

I agree with bob probably a weepy head gasket not blown my a does it only in the winter and has been for the last 10 winters so hopefully you won’t have to do anything just check fluids in the spring

 

[SAJ]

Hello Bob,
Twice my water pump has leaked and the green liquid drips down onto the front of the block where the front main bolt sits, then down onto the flange that the sump bolts up to. From there it travels along to the rear of the motor and drops to the ground as if from the bell housing. Some is caught in the "rear main janitor" catch pan I have fitted.
For all the world it looks like if comes from the rear, but actually is just the water pump leaking and travelling, fairly invisibly, down the 3-1/2 degree of rearward engine slope to the bell housing.
SAJ in NZ

 

[Russ/40]

Hello Bob,
Twice my water pump has leaked and the green liquid drips down onto the front of the block where the front main bolt sits, then down onto the flange that the sump bolts up to. From there it travels along to the rear of the motor and drops to the ground as if from the bell housing. Some is caught in the "rear main janitor" catch pan I have fitted.
For all the world it looks like if comes from the rear, but actually is just the water pump leaking and travelling, fairly invisibly, down the 3-1/2 degree of rearward engine slope to the bell housing.
SAJ in NZ

Ditto, exactly what I found before changing to a leakless pump.

 

[The Master Cylinder]

I had a leak (oil) that was driving me crazy as I could not see where it was coming from. I used some fluorescent dye and and a ultraviolet light and found it right away.

Maybe it will work on your coolant leak. https://www.amazon.com/Interdynamic...g-Systems/dp/B002M4E0VC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[1931 flamingo]

Try re-torquing the head. FWIW
Paul in CT

 

[Bob Greenhaus]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I suppose I should be glad it's not actually oil that's leaking!

 

[t farr]

I had the same problem. Went to the starter side with a mirror and looked up to under the head and fount 3" crack in the block.