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Lots of coolant in the bell housing?! Video link included

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    #1

    Lots of coolant in the bell housing?! Video link included

    Hi,

    After finishing repairs on a leak at the block coolant hose (rear of engine, driver's side, tough to access), I buttoned everything up and started the car. To my surprise, amazement, and eventual horror, frothy coolant was streaming out the bottom of the car...from the bell housing and on the passenger side this time. It was even coming out of the holes in the transmission bell where the spring retainer is for the throwout bearing arm. See video, taken from the passenger side looking down at the bell to engine mating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sukcSeMa2s

    You can see coolant coming out between the tranny and the sheet metal (orange screwdriver) and it also sloshing around through the hole at the bottom of the engine.

    At first I thought it could be part # 11111285395 has failed, which has an o-ring. But after looking at pics I don't think my engine has a freeze plug, or cover lid on the back of the block even though it seems to show it on realoem.

    If it's what I think it is, this is really bad. Could the block be cracked? Does that EVER happen in the back like that? Bad timing too as I just had the trans out last month and did the whole job, giubo, seals, clutch, everything. Ouch. What can this be?

    Thanks!
    Tags: None
    #2
    water can run down behind that shield from the back of the head. there is an elephant trunk that could be leaking or the head gasket. i would start there.
    Much wow
    I hate 4 doors

    Comment

      #3
      Thanks for the reply! I plan to get into it again, as soon as I have the time and courage. Were you able to see the video I took? It's pretty telling. I believe the outside of the trans bell is dry, and that is a lot of water coming out, not just a drip.

      In any case, I plan to exhaust every effort to make sure it's not external to the bell and will report back.

      Is it at all possible that the block is cracked on the rear, causing a coolant leak?

      Comment

        #4
        I think there's a big casting (freeze) plug back there, but it's been a while.

        It'd be massively unlikely for it to crack there...

        Likewise, I'd look at the head, just to be sure- but from the quantity
        you describe, sounds like a plug.


        t
        now, sometimes I just mess with people. It's more entertaining that way. george graves

        Comment

          #5
          Yes, there is a freeze plug on the back of the head right underneath the water outlet pipe. Either one could be leaking. Pic in this site: https://www.carsbyme.com/blog/the-st...eturn-to-glory

          Comment

            #6
            there isnt on the back of my blocks, but there is at the back of the head.
            IMG_0481 by Eric Berger, on Flickr

            almost finished by Eric Berger, on Flickr
            Much wow
            I hate 4 doors

            Comment

              #7
              Solved

              Originally posted by Cabriolet View Post
              there isnt on the back of my blocks, but there is at the back of the head.
              IMG_0481 by Eric Berger, on Flickr

              almost finished by Eric Berger, on Flickr
              I searched the internet for hours trying to find a picture of the back of an M20 block. Try it. Unbelievable. Eventually found one but I wasted 2 hours at the junkyard and finally found a dismantler who had one, drove to it, and got confirmation of no freeze plug or "cover lid", as shown on realoem's drawing. Then last night....

              This is silly. I am embarrassed to have taken the community's time with this issue. However, maybe someone will benefit from my embarrassment in the future. Thank you again to everyone who viewed and posted.

              There is no crack. No leak.....

              I raised the front of the car and pressurized the system while repairing the hose/clamp/barb on the rear driver's side of the block. A good amount of coolant flowed slowly from there while I was confirming the source of the leak and I caught it under the car in a bucket. Some of that coolant leaked into the bellhousing on it's way down and due to the angle of car (front end in the air) collected in the bottom of the (manual) transmission bell. After my repair (PIA but successful so far), I started the car and the flywheel/clutch started flinging that coolant around inside the bellhousing like crazy, which made it appear to be flowing out of every orifice.

              The mistake I made, in attempting to minimize the mess, was quickly shutting off the car, and in subsequent tests, only running it long enough to see where the coolant was coming from. Had I run it longer, the coolant would have slowed and then stopped "flowing", which it eventually did as we figured out what had happened.

              Thanks guys, for keeping me calm as I contemplated pulling my trans for the second time in 3 weeks. Have a great weekend.

              Comment

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