Leaking coolant question...

[Crandall1]

Hey, guys:

First post, yay. I'm on the hunt for my first Eagle; I'm going to look at one tomorrow that is in my price range, and the seller says the following:

"It's leaking anti-freeze, and I'm about as mechanically inclined as a squirrel. My friend says it probably just needs the belts tightened or the water pump replaced (which costs $12 online if that's the case). I don't know what the heck either of those things means, but I can't afford to pay someone $90 to "look at it" only to find out it just needed a stupid bolt or something tightened."

I should mention at this juncture that I live in Phoenix, and the trip from the seller's house to mine is 28 miles on the highway, or more like 40 on surface streets. The Eagle, which is otherwise in good shape best I can tell, is $700.

Basically, my questions are thus:

1. What should I look for to determine how bad this problem is?

2. How should I prepare to get it home, assuming it is going to overheat? Should I bring extra anti-freeze with me? Can I just use distilled water? Should I pack a lunch?

It is an '82 wagon with a 4.2L and 103K miles. Thanks in advance!

[rollguy]

If coolant is leaking only when it is running, chances are it is a bad water pump.   You can buy or "rent" (buy it, use it, and return it for a full refund) a cooling system pressure tester from most auto parts chain stores (Autozone, Oreiley, etc).
Pull the radiator cap, connect the tester to the radiator, pump it up and look for a leak.   If the water pump is bad, you should be able to see coolant coming out the weep hole of the pump shaft.     If that is the only problem (not a blown head gasket),  I would not hesitate to buy the car at that price.   A water pump job is an easy fix on these cars.   When (and if) you go to get the new part, make sure to tell the parts guy if you have V belts, or serpentine belt.  The serpentine belt pump turns counter-clockwise, and will not pump correctly if used on a V belt engine (and vice-versa).

[vangremlin]

Welcome to the Nest and an egg to you for looking into buying an Eagle!

Coolant leaks aren't that hard to track down, as long as its not the head gasket.  Check the oil, and as long as it looks like oil and not a milkshake I say go for it.  Like Rollguy says, a water pump is a pretty straight forward job - I had to replace mine and it only took about two hours.  If its a pretty good leak out of the weep hole, I doubt you'll be able to drive it home though, you wouldn't be able to keep up with the leak.  You'd be looking at a tow dolly or a trailer, or fixing it where it is at.  Good luck!

[Crandall1]

Thanks for the answers. I got some further info from the seller. He says:

"My friend who looked at it is 'convinced' that it's the water pump. I guess there's a seal or something? There's something around the water pump that seals it to the hose or something like that, and he thinks it's either bent or broken. As a result, it tries to move the water/anti-freeze through the system and when it hits the pump it leaks."

Anyhow, the dude lives like a block from an AutoZone. I'm taking a mechanically inclined friend with me and his go-bag of tools; if it is indeed the water pump, we'll swap it out on-site. It looks to be in pretty good shape otherwise. You'll know the operation is a success if you see a picture in the "Your Eagle(s)" section. ;-)

[vangremlin]

My main tip when working on a water pump is to make sure you don't poke a hole in the radiator.  Either pull it out or use some cardboard or something to protect it.  And go ahead and replace the thermostat while you're at it!

[Crandall1]

Okay, thanks for all your guys' advice. I got the water pump replaced, with only mild bruising and swearing. Protip: remember to put the drain plug back in the radiator before filling it. Protip 2: Remember to tighten the hose clamps before driving the vehicle.

Live and learn!