Lumpskie's 1989 Grand Wagoneer Build

[mjmck]

Just read through a good bit of this thread, but sucks to follow along with the garbage Photobucket did. Wish I could enjoy all your pictures.

I have been having a tough time getting the thermostat gasket to seal on my 1989 Mustang project. Had to do it 3x before I finally got it. Might be better to completely remove some of those accessories, give you room to breathe.

 

[Comanche Scott]

Bummer!

Before removing the pump, look at the bottom side of the pump behind the pulley. There is a weep hole there. If the pump was not correctly assembled fluid can leak out of that hole.
So, it may not be your fault, it may be a faulty pump.

 

[lumpskie]

Bummer!

Before removing the pump, look at the bottom side of the pump behind the pulley. There is a weep hole there. If the pump was not correctly assembled fluid can leak out of that hole.
So, it may not be your fault, it may be a faulty pump.

That was good advice, so I decided to check the leak one more time before I tore anything apart yesterday. Since the leak appeared to be at the water pump, I pulled the hose from the thermostat and poured into that.



I poured a water bottle full of liquid in... no leak. Then I decided to fill the radiator to see if the issue had magically fixed itself. No such luck. But now I had 1-2 drips every second rather than a steady stream of liquid. I pulled the fan shroud and fan/fanclutch off for a better look. I found this(look really closely at the center of the picture and you'll see I snapped the picture mid-drip):



So, now I knew that the seal between the pump and the engine was the source. So, I decided to recheck the torque on all the bolts to make sure everything was nicely cinched down. I thought the torque spec was roughly 50 in-lbs for these front bolts... At any rate, I found that the following bolt was a little loose. I pulled the outer nut off so I could retorque the inner one. Tightening it up made a little difference. Now I had one drip every 3 seconds or so.



But, in the end, I couldn't get everything sealed up. So, I am going to start pulling everything apart and redo the install. Do you guys have any good advice on installing this the next time? I was considering trying the Permetex Water Pump gasket maker. Any opinions on that?

Thanks for the help,

 

[Comanche Scott]

Normally I'll take a razor blade and scrape everything down clean, then use a flat edge to check for issues.
I've always used gasket tack on both sides of the gasket, and called it good.
Will be interesting to see what you find when you pull it off. Now that you know exactly where it is leaking, hopefully you'll be able to see what caused it.

If you use waterpump gasket maker, follow the directions real close. If I remember right you have to wait a few hours before refilling with coolant.

One habit I did get into from working on old comercial vehicles that were worn out, is to fill up with straight water first. Run up to temp and let it sit for a bit. Then use a pressure tester. Once I knew the repair was good, I'd drain out the water, and refill with the appropriate coolant ratio.

 

[lumpskie]

Thanks for the reply, Comanche Scott! Here's what I found.

Looks like I should have used tacky sealer on both sides.



Looking closely, the gasket was no longer in great shape. So, I bought Permetex Water Pump Gasket Maker. I followed the instructions which instructed to use a 1/4" bead, finger tight, wait an hour, torque, then fill after 24 hours. No leaks!


I'll finish up the belts, trans lines etc. now. Hopefully, I'll be back on the road soon!

 

[Comanche Scott]

WOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :victory:

Yeah man, that is awesome news! :wings:

 

[lumpskie]

The plot thickens... I got everything buttoned up yesterday and had my wife turn the motor over while I watched it. I noticed that the smog pump belt was slipping. So, I tightened it to a good and tight tension. Still slipped. So I pulled the belt off and tried to spin the pulley with my hand... no go. The smog pump feels totally seized. I replaced it a couple of years ago, so it was a surprise.

At any rate, it has me thinking. I wonder if it seized, then threw it's belt which hit the fan/fan clutch and caused them to break and hit the radiator? What do you guys think?

For now, I've pulled the belt off the smog pump. Is there a draw back to running the Jeep that way while I burp the system and make sure that I'm not having any coolant leaks?

 

[onemanarmy]

do it. the cooling system will still get hot and pressurized even if it pollutes a bit more.

 

[Comanche Scott]

yeah, no worries.

Spray penetrating oil in the hose nipples of your air pump. You may get it freed up. As long as the bearings aren't toast, it will continue to work.

 

[lumpskie]

Great, I'll just (hopefully) finish burping the system tonight and get some miles on it. Then, I can worry about the smog pump. Comanche Scott, I'm going to try your idea about penetrating oil in the hose nipples! The pump is only 2 years old... I'm surprised its frozen being that it's so young! Also, FWIW, that 2747 fan clutch sure makes more noise than the stock one!

 

[lumpskie]

So, the Waggy drove under it's own power last night. I was happy about that. What I'm unhappy about is squealing belts. I really cinched down on the power steering belt. That didn't help. I'll try getting the alternator belts tight tonight.

Should I be worried about over tightening these belts? Since there isn't a pry point (that I know of) for the alternator, I was considering using a dead blow and a piece of wood to tap the alternator to get the belt tight. (keeping the bolts just tight enough to keep the alternator from slipping back) Is that what you guys do?

 

[Comanche Scott]

No more coolant leak! That's awesome! :beer:

Yeah, you really want the correct tension. Premature bearing & belt failure will result from over tightening the belts.
Gates make a little "clicker" device for checking tension. Napa used to sell them. Maybe still do.
Amazon has them as well.
Super easy to use, and I recommend them all the time. because it's cheap,and small so it fits into any tool bag.
http://www.gates.com/products/automotive/tools-and-sales-aids/professional-tools/krikit-v-belt-tensioner-gauge

Most common reasons for belt squeal is saturated rubber from the leaking coolant, worn (or incorrect width) belt, or worn pulleys. The belt needs to ride on the sides, not the bottom. So if the bottom is shiny, check for proper belt width. If the belt is correct and in good serviceable condition then it may be time for new pulley(s).
Hope it's just a belt issue.

 

[lumpskie]

No more coolant leak! That's awesome! :beer:

Yeah, you really want the correct tension. Premature bearing & belt failure will result from over tightening the belts.
Gates make a little "clicker" device for checking tension. Napa used to sell them. Maybe still do.
Amazon has them as well.
Super easy to use, and I recommend them all the time. because it's cheap,and small so it fits into any tool bag.
http://www.gates.com/products/automotive/tools-and-sales-aids/professional-tools/krikit-v-belt-tensioner-gauge

Most common reasons for belt squeal is saturated rubber from the leaking coolant, worn (or incorrect width) belt, or worn pulleys. The belt needs to ride on the sides, not the bottom. So if the bottom is shiny, check for proper belt width. If the belt is correct and in good serviceable condition then it may be time for new pulley(s).
Hope it's just a belt issue.

That looks like a handy tool, I'm going to buy one. And you were right. My wife drove the waggy today and was happy to report no squealing. I think a little coolant must have gotten on the belts the other day. Hopefully, I can get some miles on it to confirm. But, for now, I'm happy it's driving again after so long!

Hopefully, I'll be able to start posting pictures of adventures in it again. Thanks for your help!

 

[Comanche Scott]

Great news! Glad to see it back on the road.
yeah, pictures, or it never happened... :elkgrin:

Funny story on that tool:
I was traveling with an engineer from Japan. We were looking at a design change to a component that would affect belt tension.
He pulls this little Krikit tool out of his bag of tricks. I'm like... "where did you get that!" Figuring it was some special tool he brought over with him from the super secret design group.
He tells me... "Napa, on my last trip to the U.S."
I now have the V belt and the Serpentine belt versions, and now I'm the cool guy on these kind of trips... roflol!

 

[lumpskie]

Great news! Glad to see it back on the road.
yeah, pictures, or it never happened... :elkgrin:

Funny story on that tool:
I was traveling with an engineer from Japan. We were looking at a design change to a component that would affect belt tension.
He pulls this little Krikit tool out of his bag of tricks. I'm like... "where did you get that!" Figuring it was some special tool he brought over with him from the super secret design group.
He tells me... "Napa, on my last trip to the U.S."
I now have the V belt and the Serpentine belt versions, and now I'm the cool guy on these kind of trips... roflol!

Haha, that's awesome! I'll be getting one this week!


Back out in the wild: