Front main bearing bolts???

slackcat

slackcat

Member
Two castle nuts on the front of the block, are those on the main bearing bolts? I'm curious because I have radiator fluid seeping from under the nuts and need advice as to what I'm looking at.
 
Yes, they're the front main cap bolts. I suspect that you actually have antifreeze leaking from the water pump or head gasket and accumulating down there. There's not really any way possible for antifreeze to weep out from underneath them as there's no water passages in that area.
 
If you don't have 2 lead packing rings well coated with grease inside the adjustment nut on the water pump, it will drip. Mine has been completely leakless since I rebuilt it over 10 years ago with grease cover lead packing rings. Before I smeared grease around the rings during installation it would drip about 1 drop every few minutes. A little grease completely stopped the dripping.
 
OK, thanks guys. Has to be the water pump dripping because it's dry around the head gasket, a real head scratcher for me. This little engine has given me fits since we bought the car. Put a copper head gasket in last month and cleaned the gunk from behind the side cover. Will be changing oil a couple more times to see if the oil clears up, milky.
 
Depending on the water pump, if it still has original type chevron packing it'll be adjustable. The adjustment will be there regardless, but, it can be tightened [maybe] slightly and checked for leaks. Go slow and easy. It shouldn't drip much. Its common to see the front main retainers all rusted to heck from that.
 
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