My car really wants to be worked on...

[Billy Mild]

I have come up with a plan to pull the plenum. It appears my ZR-Juan wants some attention sooner than later. It appears the car has just started to leak a little bit of coolant.

I haven't even began to look where the coolant can be leaking from. Any tips to try and find the coolant leak? Would a pressure tester help at all?

[Z06scentair]

I have come up with a plan to pull the plenum. It appears my ZR-Juan wants some attention sooner than later. It appears the car has just started to leak a little bit of coolant.

I haven't even began to look where the coolant can be leaking from. Any tips to try and find the coolant leak? Would a pressure tester help at all?

Most likely leaking (seeping is a better term) from the injector housings. These bolts will back out over time.

[Dynomite]

I haven't even began to look where the coolant can be leaking from. Any tips to try and find the coolant leak? Would a pressure tester help at all?

Or water pump. Or any one of several coolant hoses. Just look around especially from under the front of engine area. I would not mess around with pressure testing (Just run engine to operating Temperatures/Coolant operating pressures).

[Billy Mild]

I will try and get around to looking under the car this weekend. It isn't leading very much.

Do they still make water pumps for these cars? What about belt tensioners

[Dynomite]

I will try and get around to looking under the car this weekend. It isn't leading very much.

Do they still make water pumps for these cars? What about belt tensioners
Yep........you can get everything you ever wanted for the LT5 relatively very quickly (delivered) and even modified parts as you like....except maybe the Ignition Module ;)

Jerry's New Water Pump (http://jerrysgaskets.com/store2/root/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=45)

Haibeck Rebuilt Water Pump (http://www.zr1specialist.com/HAT%20Web/products/waterpump.htm)

Haibeck Reconditioned Belt Tensioner (http://www.zr1specialist.com/HAT%20Web/products/accessory%20belt%20tensioner.htm)

Or.....see #8 LT5 Added Systems (http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-zr-1-discussion/2942569-tech-info-lt5-eliminated-systems.html#post1579114180)

[PhillipsLT5]

I have come up with a plan to pull the plenum. It appears my ZR-Juan wants some attention sooner than later. It appears the car has just started to leak a little bit of coolant.

I haven't even began to look where the coolant can be leaking from. Any tips to try and find the coolant leak? Would a pressure tester help at all?

Apply pressure

[mike100]

The expansion tank radiator cap is the standard domestic universal cap so any radiator pressure tester will work without the need for an adapter. It will easily show a leak without the need to warm up the engine to pressurize the cooling system.

[ZR-1 Black Beauty]

I will try and get around to looking under the car this weekend. It isn't leading very much.

Do they still make water pumps for these cars? What about belt tensioners

Belt tensioners are hard to find. I had mine rebuilt recently by Marc Haibeck.

[8cam]

Got my rebuilt tensioner and water pump from Marc Haibeck too, great service and a really nice guy. The tensioner is super-easy to replace. The water pump is a certified bitch. In retrospect, I should have just pulled the radiator and a/c plumbing...would have been a much easier job

[Billy Mild]

So I put the car on jackstands yesterday and there has not been any coolant leaked. I'm not sure if that was just some boilover or something. I can't find anywhere it would be leaking. Would it be a bad idea to pressurize the system for the whole weekend and see if it leaks?

[Dynomite]

So I put the car on jackstands yesterday and there has not been any coolant leaked. I'm not sure if that was just some boilover or something. I can't find anywhere it would be leaking. Would it be a bad idea to pressurize the system for the whole weekend and see if it leaks?

Pressurizing the system for a period of time would work for leak detection especially for hard to find leaks. Some leaks may only show up when engine parts are hot however.

You do have to either run the engine to operating temperatures/coolant operating pressures or apply pressure to the coolant system for it to leak in most cases.

Just letting the car sit without running the engine usually will not show any coolant leaks at all.

[Billy Mild]

Pressurizing the system for a period of time would work for leak detection especially for hard to find leaks. Some leaks may only show up when engine parts are hot however.

You do have to either run the engine to operating temperatures/coolant operating pressures or apply pressure to the coolant system for it to leak in most cases.

Just letting the car sit without running the engine usually will not show any coolant leaks at all.

I drove the car and put it up on Jackstands. It didn't look to leak anything.

[Billy Mild]

So I found the coolant leak. I haven't driven the car in a few weeks due to my brake issue. I finally got around to buying a new jack(since the other one was stolen). I noticed it has leaked a little bit on the floor. Soaked one piece of cardboard. Here is a picture of where its leaking from: It appears to be the hose at the bottom of the water pump. Is there anyway to tighten this clamp without take the entire front end apart?

http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab123/billymild/zr1/IMG_20141116_160058_zpskqfxl3xi.jpg

[Paul Workman]

So I found the coolant leak. I haven't driven the car in a few weeks due to my brake issue. I finally got around to buying a new jack(since the other one was stolen). I noticed it has leaked a little bit on the floor. Soaked one piece of cardboard. Here is a picture of where its leaking from: It appears to be the hose at the bottom of the water pump. Is there anyway to tighten this clamp without take the entire front end apart?

http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab123/billymild/zr1/IMG_20141116_160058_zpskqfxl3xi.jpg

Spring clamps... Without the proper tool - and even then - are not so easy to deal with, "fer sher". But! They are way better than the "worm" clamps in that they're self-adjusting; maintain constant pressure even as the rubber "cold flows" from under the clamp. So, my obligatory statement would be to replace it with the proper spring clam, if you can.


That said, because that (worm) clamp is situated to where you can't access it easily, I would (and have done) suggest cutting it or grinding it off (w/ a Dremel tool, perhaps) and reinstalling a new one where you can access the tightening screw easily. But, as with ANY such non-spring clamps, the (hose) material will migrate or collapse under pressure so that if not re-tightened from time to time, they WILL often leak eventually.


"Hint:" Anytime a new worm type clamp is installed, I find it should be revisited again in a few weeks and re-tightened. After about a week or two the rubber will have taken shape so that re-tightening the clamp will result in less/no reaction by the rubber to the force applied, if NOT over-tightened.

[Billy Mild]

Spring clamps... Without the proper tool - and even then - are not so easy to deal with, "fer sher". But! They are way better than the "worm" clamps in that they're self-adjusting; maintain constant pressure even as the rubber "cold flows" from under the clamp. So, my obligatory statement would be to replace it with the proper spring clam, if you can.


That said, because that (worm) clamp is situated to where you can't access it easily, I would (and have done) suggest cutting it or grinding it off (w/ a Dremel tool, perhaps) and reinstalling a new one where you can access the tightening screw easily. But, as with ANY such non-spring clamps, the (hose) material will migrate or collapse under pressure so that if not re-tightened from time to time, they WILL often leak eventually.


"Hint:" Anytime a new worm type clamp is installed, I find it should be revisited again in a few weeks and re-tightened. After about a week or two the rubber will have taken shape so that re-tightening the clamp will result in less/no reaction by the rubber to the force applied, if NOT over-tightened.

I don't think I can even get a Dremel in there. Its a tight fit. Does this mean the entire top end needs to come off again, along with removing the alternator and all that jazz?

[mike100]

You don't have to be able to get a screwdriver in there, but rather a 1/4 dr flex head swivel and some extensions. Maybe the nut size is 7 or 8mm for that type of hose clamp. Looks like you have to go down thru the top some way.

[We Gone]

"Hint:" Anytime a new worm type clamp is installed, I find it should be revisited again in a few weeks and re-tightened. After about a week or two the rubber will have taken shape so that re-tightening the clamp will result in less/no reaction by the rubber to the force applied, if NOT over-tightened.[/INDENT][/I]

Exactly, Also be aware that a spring clamp will crack a plastic fitting or radiator neck if over tightened as the part with the worm gear creates a pressure point under it as it is thicker under the clamp, were a spring clamp has even pressure (no high spot).

[Billy Mild]

Exactly, Also be aware that a spring clamp will crack a plastic fitting or radiator neck if over tightened as the part with the worm gear creates a pressure point under it as it is thicker under the clamp, were a spring clamp has even pressure (no high spot).

It sounds like this is not the correct type of clamp this came with from the factory. So what is the best way to change out this clamp? Do I need to tear everything apart, should I just focus on getting this one tightened?

[We Gone]

On aluminum or brass the screw clamp will work fine. Jerry's Gaskets sells the spring clamps but you would have to remove the hose end from the pump to replace it and that hose is a hard one.

[Paul Workman]

Long as we're on the subject of those &%$)#! spring clamps, does anyone have or know of a tool for removing/installing those things that will work from any angle? (I suspect the only reason worm clamps even exist is because those spring clamps are sucha bitch to install/remove w/o some kind of special tool.:mad:)

Suggestions??? WVZR-1? Anybody?? (Not meaning to steal the thread!:o)

[GOLDCYLON]

I used to use the spring ring clamp removal tool that looks like this. I picked mine up at Oreillys. After buying the tool i went to samcos and stainess clamps and have not used the tool since lol

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/fixurnissan/2010-04-01_203852_hose_clamp_tool2.jpg

[Billy Mild]

I thought I found a good way to get to that clamp, wrong. I unbolted the swaybar, and it did give me a little more room, but that was a huge mistake. Still couldn't get a socket on it. I then looked from above thinking, will I really need to pull the plenum AGAIN.

I starred at the top of the engine. I then ventured to remove the belt tensioner. This does give me access to the clamp without issue. I will tighten this clamp down tight and hopefully the issue will go away. The car has been leaking coolant for a few weeks now. Just a drop or two. I need to clean all the coolant off the car. Whats the best way to do that?