Engine Coolant leak

sord · **Posted:** 02 Jan 2012 08:53

I was just checking my boat (laid up for winter) and have noticed a lot of very green engine coolant in the pan under the engine (Westerbeke 50). Seems unusual as the engine has not been used for 3 months and it has not been very cold. Any ideas where to start lookingÉ

WayneH · **Posted:** 02 Jan 2012 09:50

It's just me but I check all the HARD places first because it's my luck that's where they are. LOL

The oil cooler behind the engine has an inlet and outlet and a zinc

The water connection to the hot water heater on top of the rear of the engine.

The raw water cooler has an inlet, an outlet to the water heater and a zinc.

The easy places are at the water pump on the front of the engine.

Check with your local auto parts store to see if they loan tools. There is a tool that connects to the filler neck and pressurizes the system with air. It usually has a gauge so you can see the loss of pressure. With the system pressured up, you may be able to hear the leak.

Good luck.

berwick · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 18:12 **Posts:** 325

I've had something similar (just about every year) but mine is caused by some antifreeze that splashed around when I was winterizing and then it pooled into a spot near the front of the engine pan after sitting for a day or two. Maybe yours might be the same....

Richard

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

Could be any of the joints if it is a lot of antifreeze. If it was just a little, it might just be some overflow at the neck of the expansion chamber--if you filled it recently the excess ends up in the pan from the expansion tank. Won't be the oil cooler--that is cooled by salt water. Suggest you also check every hose joint with a very dry finger. Also check the fresh water pump to see if it is leaking at the bearing and pray that it isn't (strongly suggest folks carry a spare because when they go, you can be done right there). You might also tighten all the clamps with a 5/16ths socket (easier than using a screwdriver) as they do loosen under vibration. Good luck.

Ardea · **Joined:** 19 Mar 2007 16:40 **Posts:** 195

Also check where the manifold connects to the heat exchanger. There are two flanges with gaskets that can leak there.

jvoelxen · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 15:36 **Posts:** 268

I highly recommend trying to find the leak by pressure testing the system. As mentioned above, you can get the tester from autoparts store like Autozone. You just leave a deposit, which they return when you return the tester.

I went crazy trying to find my leak. I would run the engine, get it to normal operating temperature, and couldn't find any leaks. I'd come back the next day and a would find a small amount of anti-freeze in the pan. However, when I pressure tested the system, I found that the leakage was occuring at the FW pump seal. You do the test above normal operating pressure. My guess was the system would pressurize after I shut down the engine from the engine's latent heat. That was enough pressure, combined with the shaft not spinning to get a small leak. Got the pump rebuilt and problem went away. Never would have found the problem without the pressure tester.

Jim

Down2TheC · **Posted:** 06 Jan 2012 20:13

Probably not a widespread thing, but our Diesel for the last few years has been dyed green and our leaking injector pump made the sump look like a coolant leak. Couldn't see how I was sucking coolant from the sump but the level never changed (until I went to empty the jug of drippings and caught a good whiff. Neutral

)

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Engine Coolant leak

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