Plugging a water pump weep hole will lead to a lot of damage to your engine. You are clicking this article because you want to know what will happen if you plug the water pump weep hole?
There are two significant disadvantages of plugging the weep hole:
1. It will cause serious damage to the water pump.
2. It may lead to oil dilution
The first time I plugged my weep hole, my was contaminated with coolant
Let us discuss in detail what will happen if the weep hole is plug
What Happens When You Plug A Water Pump Hole
1. Plugging weep hole Will Cause Damage Water pump;
Engine water pumps comprise a housing, impeller, mechanical seal, shaft, and bearings. These are the significant components of the water pump.
- BEARING DAMAGE: When coolant seeps through the mechanical seal, the weep hole is a means to eliminate it. So the coolant gets stuck within the water pump when you block the weep hole. As the pressure build-up, the coolant momentum attacks the bearings. To the bearing, the coolant watches away the lubricant that helps the bearing in rotation. And that will be caused the bearing to damage
- WATER PUMP SHAFT: Under normal circumstances, the shaft needs lubricant, not coolant, to keep working. The seeped coolant caused corrosion and rust to the post. When it happens over a prolonged time, the damage becomes serious enough to damage the shaft.
- HOUSING DAMAGE: When coolant gets to where it is not designed to get, danger looms. Stuck coolant without a way out caused rust to the water pump housing.
- Damage Mechanical seal: Mechanical seal prevent coolant from getting into the dangerous area of the water pump. When the coolant is stuck after plugging of weep hole, it causes damage to the mechanical seal.
So if these major water pump components are damaged, the pump is no longer. It is one of the results of plugging a weep hole
2. It causes oil dilution, Although this does not apply to all water pumps. However, a gear-driven water pump may experience it. When the weep hole is plugged, the coolant builds pressure, and coolant forces it out at the opposite side, resulting in oil dilution.
Is Coolant Leaking Out Of The Water Pump Weep Hole Normal
You may think it is normal since the weep hole leakage causes a little challenge to your cooling system.
But if you ever think like that, then you are wrong. Coolant leaking from weep holes may not cause overheating or severe damage to your engine, but that never makes it normal.
If you remember, there was a time when your weep hole was not leaking. If you now experience weep hole leakages, it shows something is wrong with your water pump.
Weep hole coolant leakages are a sign of a weak water pump. It tells you something about the state of your water pump. And it should be addressed before it gets out of hand.
So immediately you notice water pump weep hole leakages, go to a trusted workshop and get it done. Or if you can repair your water pump yourself, then do that.
How To Fix Weep Hole Leakages
At a point, there is the possibility that your water pump can start leaking from the weep hole. When you experience this, what should you do?
It would help if you changed the water pump oil and mechanical seal. It is these seals that are responsible for coolant leakages. When you replace the seals, the weep hole leakages will stop.
Stopping weep hole leakages is something you can do yourself. Your attention is on removing the seal, not the bearings.
If the bearing is not making noise and the pulley is not wobbling, you can only grease it and use it back.
But you can replace the bearings to check your water pump thoroughly.
But Should you replace the water pump because of weep hole coolant leakages? Read below:
Should Water Pump Replaced Because Of Weep Hole Leakages
Coolant leakages from the weep hole are abnormal; therefore, they should be addressed accordingly.
But should you replace the water pump because of weep hole coolant leakages?
The answer is no. You can repair your water pump and keep using it. Weep Hole leakages are not an end to your water pump; they are faults that can be repaired.
So needless replace your water pump because of coolant leakages from the weep hole. It can be repaired.
Must the repair be carried out immediately after you find out?
How Long Can Weep Hole Leakages Be Used Before Repair Or Replace?
Immediately you observe coolant leakages from the weep hole, and you must attend to the problem.
But if it happens along the road, you can still drive your car to a nearby workshop or house.
After reaching home, you can decide whether to repair or replace it. If you are to do it yourself, remember to drain the coolant from the radiator.
The coolant should not be poured on the ground; instead, it should be stored safely.
If the coolant is still suitable, then you can re-use it again, but if the coolant has contaminated, then you should think of disposing it to an appropriate place and re-fill the radiator with another one
Conclusively, weep hole leakages should not plug in; you should repair or replace your water pump.
Final Thought
The article must have helped you see why you don’t plug the water pump weep hole. Remember what you must do when your water pump weep hole is leaking.
You have also learned that a weep hole is one of the sources of water pump leakage