Coolant leak, fed up!

[L33T35T Tacoma]

95 4runner, 3vze, 2wd

I have been battling coolant problems for years now. It's been pretty good lately but this morning, nice warm morning, haven't driven the truck at all today, it suddently is having a steady drop of coolant leaking off where the BELLHOUSING and the ENGINE meet up, on the DRIVER side, as seen here.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c357/jlboggs/coolant4.jpg

here is the area directly above that, see the round oil cooler? (that is an oil cooler right?)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c357/jlboggs/coolant1.jpg

I had always suspected the water pump, but it was done maybe 20,000 miles ago. I tore into that front cover area about a month ago, and put it all back together without the front plastic cover, and saw no apparent leak from the water pump, but it is moist in that area as seen here...

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c357/jlboggs/coolant6.jpg

That area is wet, but nothing that supports the theory of a water pump leak and having the fan push all the coolant back towards the bellhousing. Maybe I'm wrong? I take criticism well.

here is the passenger side ENGINE/BELLHOUSING. Maybe its coming down from the passenger side?

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c357/jlboggs/coolant2.jpg


And this just formed while I had the pressure tester on there... passenger side tranny cooler lines, something is dripping DOWN to this area. but I couldnt figure out where that's coming from.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c357/jlboggs/coolant3.jpg

Another shot of the oil pan area... I thought coolant was running down the oil pan and leaking near the rear of the engine... but once i cleaned up the middle of the oil pan, coolant continued to leak down the bellhousing.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c357/jlboggs/coolant5.jpg

Here's the weird part. There will be some days where ther isnt a drop on the ground, and there will be some days where there is a continuous puddle. This vehicle gets driven every day, and at home is always parked in the driveway, which is on a slight tilt.

I used a snapon cooling system pressurizer and pushed it to about 15-16 PSI.

Also the valley of the engine looks dry, from what I can tell. When I had my knock sensor done, the dealer said they THINK it might be leaking coolant from the head gasket because they saw coolant in the valley while they were in there, but I had just replaced one of the heater hoses right behind the intake manifold, and I think it was leaking in to there and thats what they saw. Again, I dont know for sure and I'd love to be proven wrong.

I'm so fed up with this truck. Why is my 1985 4runnner more reliable than this 95 4runner? LOL

I appreciate anybodys help!

[L33T35T Tacoma]

Update: I dried off the side of the oil pan before I made that post. I just checked on it right now and it did continue to leak down the side of the oil pan, because the area above the engine/bellhousing area is pretty much dry.

So it IS coming from the front of the engine. The tilt of the driveway is making it run down the oil pan, so i backed the truck in to my driveway and we'll see how that changes things.

[DHC6twinotter]

I hear ya....I've been having on and off issues with coolant leaks for the past 6 years or so. First the radiator, then the waterpump, then radiator cap, then the stupid U shaped hose on the back, then radiator cap, then hose, and now I think my radiator is leaking again. :confused:

If your leak is on the front, then I vote for your problem being the waterpump, thermostat housing, timing belt idler pulley, or maybe just a hose. :hillbill:

Sorry I'm not much more help.

[slosurfer]

Sorry to say it, but it's the water pump. :( I had same exact symptoms and everything. It leaks down and hits the ledge where the oil pan bolts up, then it travels on that ledge, under the oil cooler, and then drips off the bellhousing area. I suppose depending on the slant of your driveway, it could go the other way as well. Basically wasn't able to see exactly where it was coming from till I had the whole front torn apart and got to the waterpump. If I remember right, it was leaking from the upper passenger side of the WP, darn near impossible to see till you had it all apart.

Mine didn't seem to leak a drop when driving, but let it sit in the driveway on a warm day without driving it and it would make a nice little puddle.

When you do it, flush your system and go back to toyota red coolant, it has agents that coagulate and help stop seepage.

[Robinhood4x4]

My vote is for the waterpump too. I don't remember the path that the water took, but I had weird leak patterns as well.