Water pumps leaking want to use sealant as temporary fix?

35

Asked by Erica Aug 31, 2020 at 02:55 PM about the 1994 Toyota Camry XLE V6

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Thinking if I remove thermostat can I slow a leak
down around water pump using some sort of coolant
sealant? If so what is recommended? I need a
temporary fix to last couple months. Can't afford to
pay mechanic to do timing now and replacement now
along with all parts and labor quoted to me at 700.

10 Answers

Removing the thermostat will not lower the pressure in the cooling system. Cooling system sealants probably will not work on a leaking water pump. Keep it topped off with 50/50 antifreeze/water until you can replace the pump. I suppose you could try installing a lower pressure radiator cap which could reduce the leaking.

1 people found this helpful.
35

Caps located over timing belt not on radiator. I read someone's thermostat froze up using temporary sealants this is why I was wondering if I could take it out and try. I'm having to add water every few miles or if it sits. It runs right out. Locations somewhere behind my serpentine belt pulleys which without a high impact gun and large socket I can remove to see exact area of leak.

1 people found this helpful.
70

Normally when a water pump leaks its comes from the bottom Of the pump called the seep hole do to car sitting still for a while ( months), or high rpms before the engine has warmed up. My suggestion is to just leave it alone and fill ur coolant resivour as needed making sure to fill it over the cold fill line. Just make sure u fill to line turn vehicle on, then turn off and fill it back up to the fill line. However this depends on how fast ur vehicle is leaking the coolant

1 people found this helpful.

If you have to add coolant every few miles you really need to fix the problem. You are risking burning up the motor and I doubt you can afford that. Beg, borrow or "steal" the money to fix it or you will be walking.

3 people found this helpful.
70

No need to use 50/50 in any situation. 50/50 is half water. Why would you pay for water when its free. For not run straight water until u can get it fixed. But if you can fix it before it starts freezing. If you have you wait until after it freezes, then you will need to use a full jug of 100% antifreeze and then fill the jug up full with water and pour that in as well.

1 people found this helpful.

At this level of leak you should probably use straight water as you are going to waste hundreds of dollars buying coolant. Of course using straight water has its own set of problems like rust and boiling.

1 people found this helpful.
35

So long as I keep water topped off it doesn't overheat. Soon as water level gets too low I notice fan revving up so I stop and add more as needed to keep my temperture gage at normal range. Running heater on low too but yea its annoying to have to keep so many bottles of water in car to get back and forth from work but is getting me by. Just wish I could slow that leak more. But from everyone's responses no one recommends trying to use any coolant seal repair liquids lol. I don't want to mess it up worse anyway. Thanks for replies. By the time I buy all tools to do it myself, using YouTube videos, I may as well pay a mechanic. Any ideas on time it should take a mechanic to replace water pump, and timing belt? My mechanic said 4 to 5 hours. I was thinking that's too long for someone to take lol. If I had the skills to do timing and not be afraid of messing timing up and tools I got help to do it here at home. Just that timing belt setting scares me.

2 people found this helpful.

Get another quote but I don't think the one you have now is out of line. Transverse mounted engines are more expensive to work on.

1 people found this helpful.
70

I just watched a video on it and it does seem very complex. It made me fall in love with working on my gmc, because its super easy to work on. Anyways you are going to get around the same quote from all repair shops. Thats just how it goes. My advice find a friend or family that is familiar with cars and ask him/her to help you fix it. Then sale it and get you a gm make vehicle. Its alot cheaper and long lasting. Good luck

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