Hi, I've never posted anything to any forum before, so I apologize if this is in the wrong place. My 91 Grand Marquis has a slow coolant drip from below the water pump. My knowledge cars is minimal, so I'll try and explain as best I can.
A few days ago I heard a strange "popping" sound while driving. I couldn't accelerate for about 2 seconds, the the car lurched and resumed driving like normal. Two minutes later I parked it at home, and two minutes after that a ton of coolant ran out. I opened the hood and saw a hose running from my firewall to the top of the eninge. It looked like it had busted previously, and someone cut it and stuck one of those plastic t-shaped valves between the cut halves. One side had popped off the t, so I slid it on further and tightened the clamp (I bought a new hose from NAPA and replaced it as soon as I got home). However, since then my car has been dripping about 1 drop per second from what looks like some kind of gasket under the car directly below the water pump.
After I drive my car to work (about 15 minutes) and park it for 5-8 hours, I'm missing about a gallon of coolant. I fill it up, get home, and turn the car off. A large puddle of coolant forms immediately under the car. Not as much as the first time after I heard the popping sound, but enough that you can hear it hitting the ground. When I come back 30 minutes later, the car is missing a gallon of coolant.
I don't know what the part below my water pump is called, but if I get time later I'll post a pic. It's a circular gasket (maybe?) that connects to a little wheel with holes in it, which in turn connects to some sort of drain pan dead center under the engine. Again, I don't know much about cars, but I am mechanically inclined (I used to work on aircraft for the Navy) and I have made minor car repairs before (replaced an alternator once, tracked down electrical problems). Any help identifying this part, how much it would be to fix, and whether it's something I could do myself would be greatly appreciated.
A few days ago I heard a strange "popping" sound while driving. I couldn't accelerate for about 2 seconds, the the car lurched and resumed driving like normal. Two minutes later I parked it at home, and two minutes after that a ton of coolant ran out. I opened the hood and saw a hose running from my firewall to the top of the eninge. It looked like it had busted previously, and someone cut it and stuck one of those plastic t-shaped valves between the cut halves. One side had popped off the t, so I slid it on further and tightened the clamp (I bought a new hose from NAPA and replaced it as soon as I got home). However, since then my car has been dripping about 1 drop per second from what looks like some kind of gasket under the car directly below the water pump.
After I drive my car to work (about 15 minutes) and park it for 5-8 hours, I'm missing about a gallon of coolant. I fill it up, get home, and turn the car off. A large puddle of coolant forms immediately under the car. Not as much as the first time after I heard the popping sound, but enough that you can hear it hitting the ground. When I come back 30 minutes later, the car is missing a gallon of coolant.
I don't know what the part below my water pump is called, but if I get time later I'll post a pic. It's a circular gasket (maybe?) that connects to a little wheel with holes in it, which in turn connects to some sort of drain pan dead center under the engine. Again, I don't know much about cars, but I am mechanically inclined (I used to work on aircraft for the Navy) and I have made minor car repairs before (replaced an alternator once, tracked down electrical problems). Any help identifying this part, how much it would be to fix, and whether it's something I could do myself would be greatly appreciated.
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