Black Hole Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 I have developed a coolant leak that is likely from the water pump. Is the yellow circled item in the picture the belt tensioner? If so, do I l just loosen the nut to allow belt removal? Do I need to set the tension on the belt after assembly or is it pressure fed and automatic? A quick search found lots of water pumps at all sorts of prices, any recommendations or are they all pretty similar (or are the cheap ones plastic impellers and some metal?) Thanks Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 That is the belt tensioner which is self-tensioning. Put a box end wrench on the nut then use the wrench as a lever to push the pulley towards the block and release the tension. The bolt won't rotate. There should be some videos on youtube showing this if you're unclear (search for water pump removal in Ford Focus with Duratec.) One tip is to attempt to loosen the bolts on the water pump pulley before you remove the belt. The tension should keep the pulley from rotating as you break the bolts loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wemtd Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 Jay i may have a spare water pump you can have. The Duratec’s are all plastic… are you sure it’s the pump/plastic manifold or could it be a hose junction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Hole Posted July 12 Author Share Posted July 12 (edited) 14 hours ago, JohnCh said: One tip is to attempt to loosen the bolts on the water pump pulley before you remove the belt. The tension should keep the pulley from rotating as you break the bolts loose. Thank you, I was thinking you may need to loosen the pulley belts before removing the belt. 1 hour ago, wemtd said: Jay i may have a spare water pump you can have. The Duratec’s are all plastic… are you sure it’s the pump/plastic manifold or could it be a hose junction? It appears to be coming from behind the water pump pulley so I am pretty sure that is where th problem is. When I looked on line it appears some may have metal impellers. See if you have one in stock Edited July 12 by Black Hole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Hole Posted July 12 Author Share Posted July 12 One more question is they have made coolant quite confusing with all the different colors (formulations). My car has a 2005 duratec and I currently have the orange type coolant. I found a Motorcraft document that says for 2004-8 focus they use yellow coolant. They switch to orange in 2012. What is the recommendation, and does it matter as our cars do not have the OEM radiators and other components. And can you mix? I will drain the coolant and put in new coolant but I was not planning on doing a thorough flush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 I used the Ford factory water pumps for my last two engine builds, and both arrived fitted with metal impellers. I'm not sure how much the material matters, but I don't think the price between budget water pumps and factory water pumps is that significant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdb Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 Porsche 996 folk dislike metal impellers. They send nasty shards through the cooling system if/when they break, and they can grind holes through the block to the point where the block becomes a paperweight! So they stick with plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlB Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 They make antifreeze that meets all the specific color specifications, and is compatible with everything. I would use that. It is difficult to get all the coolant out of the bottom of the block Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slonie Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 When I refilled I just used Prestone green/yellow that claims to be compatible with all formulations. (Reading the Ford Motorcraft chart for which one to use for a Zetec literally changes *mid-2001* and since that’s right around when my car was built I had no idea which to pick) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wemtd Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 I use Sierra (Propylene Glycol - less toxic antifreeze. With assembly/ disassembly I’ve spilt far too much to risk our dog’s safety. thankfully no close calls but good insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Hole Posted July 13 Author Share Posted July 13 20 hours ago, CarlB said: They make antifreeze that meets all the specific color specifications, and is compatible with everything. I would use that. It is difficult to get all the coolant out of the bottom of the block 19 hours ago, Slonie said: When I refilled I just used Prestone green/yellow that claims to be compatible with all formulations. (Reading the Ford Motorcraft chart for which one to use for a Zetec literally changes *mid-2001* and since that’s right around when my car was built I had no idea which to pick) Thanks, I was thinking of just going that route Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamScotticus Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 (edited) Definitely want to flush out old coolant, run a few changes of water through until all is out. Some OAT coolants can attack the rubber gaskets. An OEM reccomend coolant will be compatible with the materials and sealants. If you are ever unsure about mixing, just don't. Two different formulas can create sludge and clog your whole system. See "Dex-Cool sludge". There is a European blue formula that is glycol based, I believe. It may be worth considering. Edited July 16 by IamScotticus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now