LEAKY 97 C5

[ruderodsc5]

HELLO, I HAVE A 97 C5. I'M HAVING A PROBLEM (UNKNOWN) WITH A LEAK THAT SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE LOWER TENSION PULLEY NEXT TO THE AC COMPRESSOR. I'VE CHECKED MY HOSES BUT, CAN'T SEEM TO RULE THAT OUT. IS THEIR A FREEZE PLUG IN THAT AREA OR ANOTHER SMALLER HOSE THAT MY NEED REPLACING. COULD THIS BE A BIGGER PROBLEM FOR ME?

 

[DRTH VTR]

Just to be sure, are you leaking coolant or something else?

 

[ruderodsc5]

Just to be sure, are you leaking coolant or something else?

I'M LEAKING COOLANT

 

[vette747]

Water pump. There is a hole and seal in the middle of the water pump as most of the chevy V8. When the pump is going south, the coolant leaks by the hole in the middle. On the LS1, the way the water pump is designed makes the coolant to follow the descending inclination going under the thermostat. Not easy to explain. Look at the picture. This is a view from the bottom, but you will see the coolant going from the middle to the thermostat. Then, it drops on the AC tensionner.

If you want to be sure, touch below the thermostat with your finger and continue to touch the water pump going toward the middle.

 

[ruderodsc5]

Water pump. There is a hole and seal in the middle of the water pump as most of the chevy V8. When the pump is going south, the coolant leaks by the hole in the middle. On the LS1, the way the water pump is designed makes the coolant to follow the descending inclination going under the thermostat. Not easy to explain. Look at the picture. This is a view from the bottom, but you will see the coolant going from the middle to the thermostat. Then, it drops on the AC tensionner.

If you want to be sure, touch below the thermostat with your finger and continue to touch the water pump going toward the middle.

THANK U FOR THAT INFO. NOW IS IT DIFFICULT TO REPLACE MYSELF OR WOULD YOU SUGGEST I TAKE IT TO A PROFESSIONAL AUTO MECH?

 

[vette747]

I see in your profile that your hobby is work on your C5. So this is for some thing you can do. Easier to replace water pump on my C5 than on my C4.

1. Disconnect battery
2. Disconnect the IAT sensor connector.
3. Disconnect the MAF sensor connector
4. Remove the fuel regulator purge line from air intake duct.
5. Remove the air intake duct/cleaner assembly
6. Remove the drive belts.
7. Drain the cooling system
8. Remove the radiator inlet and outlet hose clamps from the coolant pump
9. Remove the radiator inlet an outlet hoses from the coolant pump.
10. Remove the heater hose clamps from the coolant pump
11. Remove the heater hoses from the coolant pump
12. Remove the coolant pump pulley bolts
13. Remove the coolant pump pulley.
14. Remove six water coolant retaining bolts from the engine block
15. Remove the coolant pump.

install the new coolant pump gaskets with the tabs up.

Tighten the coolant pump bolts to 30 lb ft
Tighten the coolant pump pulley bolts a first pass evenly to 89 N m lb ft
Tighten the coolant pump pulley bolts a final pass to 18 lb ft.

• It takes 30 minutes to remove the pump.
• It took me 1.5 hour to clean the paper gasket.
• Replace paper gasket with metal gasket comming on the 99+
• When you scrape the paper gasket with a razor blade, be carefull when you lay on the passenger fender. Driver gasket is pretty far and if you put your weight on the coolant reservoir, you will break it.
• Blow the bolt hole with compress air to make sure there is no coolant when putting the bolt back to do not crack or damage the block.
• Take the opportunity to remove the AC tensionner and AC idler pulley for a clean up.

Edit : Part number for metal gasket is 10276792

 

[ruderodsc5]

THANK U FOR THAT INFO. NOW IS IT DIFFICULT TO REPLACE MYSELF OR WOULD YOU SUGGEST I TAKE IT TO A PROFESSIONAL AUTO MECH?

I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WHILE LOOKING AT THE LEAK WITH MY CAR RUNNING, IT WAS'NT JUST DRIPING IT WAS SPRAYING OUT, MAY BE CAUSE OF THE ROTATION OF THE BELTS. COULD THAT STILL BE THE WATER PUMP.:confused

 

[BlackNBlue95]

I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WHILE LOOKING AT THE LEAK WITH MY CAR RUNNING, IT WAS'NT JUST DRIPING IT WAS SPRAYING OUT, MAY BE CAUSE OF THE ROTATION OF THE BELTS. COULD THAT STILL BE THE WATER PUMP.:confused

That is typical of a failing or failed water pump. that the coolant gets on the pulley and or belt and "sprays" or basically gets thrown around.
-=Rick

 

[vette747]

That is typical of a failing or failed water pump. that the coolant gets on the pulley and or belt and "sprays" or basically gets thrown around.
-=Rick

I agree again with Rick. Initially, I saw coolant below the throttle body. I thought that it was the throttle body hose that was leaking, but that was the pulley & belt that was spraying coolant all over.

Best test is to touch under the pump and to see if this is wet all the way from thermostat to the middle of the pump.

 

[ruderodsc5]

I see in your profile that your hobby is work on your C5. So this is for some thing you can do. Easier to replace water pump on my C5 than on my C4.

1. Disconnect battery
2. Disconnect the IAT sensor connector.
3. Disconnect the MAF sensor connector
4. Remove the fuel regulator purge line from air intake duct.
5. Remove the air intake duct/cleaner assembly
6. Remove the drive belts.
7. Drain the cooling system
8. Remove the radiator inlet and outlet hose clamps from the coolant pump
9. Remove the radiator inlet an outlet hoses from the coolant pump.
10. Remove the heater hose clamps from the coolant pump
11. Remove the heater hoses from the coolant pump
12. Remove the coolant pump pulley bolts
13. Remove the coolant pump pulley.
14. Remove six water coolant retaining bolts from the engine block
15. Remove the coolant pump.

install the new coolant pump gaskets with the tabs up.

Tighten the coolant pump bolts to 30 lb ft
Tighten the coolant pump pulley bolts a first pass evenly to 89 N m lb ft
Tighten the coolant pump pulley bolts a final pass to 18 lb ft.

• It takes 30 minutes to remove the pump.
• It took me 1.5 hour to clean the paper gasket.
• Replace paper gasket with metal gasket comming on the 99+
• When you scrape the paper gasket with a razor blade, be carefull when you lay on the passenger fender. Driver gasket is pretty far and if you put your weight on the coolant reservoir, you will break it.
• Blow the bolt hole with compress air to make sure there is no coolant when putting the bolt back to do not crack or damage the block.
• Take the opportunity to remove the AC tensionner and AC idler pulley for a clean up.

Edit : Part number for metal gasket is 10276792

YOU WERE VERY HELPFUL AND THANK U, HOPE THAT I CAN FIND U AGAIN IF I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS ON MY C5.