Unpinable coolant leak

[MIKEBEBE]

Gentlemen
2005 LS SPORT V8
After replacing all plastic parts and hoses, etc. my coolant leak did not stop until the factory hose clamps were replaced with worm drive clamps.
There is a very slow oil leak on the car at the front of the engine now, possibly timing cover, cannot see it.
Anybody found it yet?
Thanks

 

[joegr]

Gentlemen
2005 LS SPORT V8
After replacing all plastic parts and hoses, etc. my coolant leak did not stop until the factory hose clamps were replaced with worm drive clamps.
There is a very slow oil leak on the car at the front of the engine now, possibly timing cover, cannot see it.
Anybody found it yet?
Thanks

Alternately, you could have used new spring clamps and you might get a little longer before the plastic cracks.

On the oil leak, it most likely is the timing cover gasket. Sorry.

 

[MIKEBEBE]

Figured that it was the cover.
What a PITA that will be to replace.


LOL<

 

[ajv8]

Figured that it was the cover.
What a PITA that will be to replace.


LOL<

i would leave it alone they leak real slow. i dropped by the aston dealer and their new tech was doing a cover on the 4.3, big bill for something that wasn’t even dripping on the floor.

 

[ajv8]

Agree, and just to add ...make sure the gasket is rubber and metal on the water pump...NO PAPER GASKET ON THE LS

metal gasket is only for the 1 piece pump not the later 2 piece

 

[04_Sport_LS]

I used to think that too, till I had a mystery leak on my 04 LS (all new cooling system parts). It would not leak with the 16 PSI pressure test no matter what I did, hot, warm, cold, engine on, engine off, ... Maybe that is the rare exception, but it was my experience. (Leaked every time it was taken on the interstate.)

In the end, it was stopped by lightly sanding the ports on the front of the heads and putting tack seal on those two o-rings.

A grey piece of industrial "Scotch Brite" pad works well for that too.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

metal gasket is only for the 1 piece pump not the later 2 piece

Huh??? my last OEM water pump had the rubberized metal gasket.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

Knowing that the LS can run warm... I don't worry about the engine temp.

I listen to the cooling fan when shutting off the engine. Any ambient temp below 85f degrees... the fan does not kick on.

Any ambient temp above 85f degrees... the fan will be running when I shut the car off.

This is very consistent... unless there is a problem. I don't know if that would change based on elevation from sea level, or not.

 

[Ryanthelsman]

FINAL UPDATE:

Water pump was shot.
Fluid was seeping out the “weep holes” out of the sides of the pump. Witch explains the stream of fluid under load and higher temps.

Driven 120 miles and the leak is gone and the job was only so painful. Only one snapped bolt everything else was smooth.

(This was fixed weeks ago but thoight it would be worth confirming for the thread)

 

[joegr]

...Only one snapped bolt everything else was smooth...

All thirty minute jobs are just one stuck/stripped/snapped bolt away from an all day nightmare...

 

[04_Sport_LS]

That's why mechanics can never have too many tools.