Water under the timing cover?

Posted By: west

Water under the timing cover? - 05/13/13 07:12 PM

I feel this is a stupid question but not asking it would be even more stupid.
1976 360 has a very small water leak coming from behind the timing cover.
Could a bad water pump be the cause? What other source of water is back there,freeze plug?

Posted By: OzHemi

Re: Water under the timing cover? - 05/13/13 09:17 PM

Could be the timing cover itself leaking too...they corrode in the passage area between the waterpump and block.

(or the weep hole in the water pump?)

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Water under the timing cover? - 05/13/13 09:26 PM

Quote:

Could be the timing cover itself leaking too...they corrode in the passage area between the waterpump and block.

(or the weep hole in the water pump?)

This or the gasket. the timing cover covers the timing chain and gears but is also the plenum for the water pump. the bolts that go on either side of the passage that the water flows through are also wet.

so it's either the gasket or the timing cover if you have a leak between the cover and the block , not the water pump. also you need to make sure that water is also not leaking into the oil pan ...

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Water under the timing cover? - 05/13/13 09:34 PM

I wager it is the WP weep hole leaking the water up front on a SB.

I have only saw 2 t-cover water leakes, one was eat away by cavitation, and the other was loose bolts/gasket at the t-cover/wp passages.

I have fixed 100s of WP that slowly weep water at the weep hole.

dry it good and throw a hand full of baby powder in the area of water leak. this slows it down and shows if it is traveling from one spot to another.

Posted By: Mcode69

Re: Water under the timing cover? - 05/14/13 07:28 AM

I have to change my t/cover gasket every 2 or 3 years, it just squeezes out and starts dribbling coolant. The cover itself is like new, anyone else seen this?

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Water under the timing cover? - 05/14/13 01:26 PM

not torqued to specs or gasket shrinkage.(cheap gaskets)

I have seen it a few times,every 6 months or so I put a wrench on all of the bolts to make sure they stay torqued.

I have been able to turn a couple now and then 1/2 turn or more to stop the gasket from weeping coolent at top of t-cover/head/intake area.

I have mad my own gasket from a model box top that worked better than some of the gaskets from autozone.

Posted By: Paul_Fancsali

Re: Water under the timing cover? - 05/14/13 09:22 PM

Clean timing cover surface CLEAN then apply a layer of permatex and make sure you do it on a lower humidity day day and above 55 degree's