Skonnie wrote:
> Took a very short trip the other day and came home to discover that
> coolant was leaking all over the place. The car didn't overheat, and
> I believe I've isolated the source of the leak - the water pump, or
> the gaskets therefrom.
>
> My question is, since it leaked from the pump and got sprayed all over
> the fan, should I be worried about coolant residue on the alternator,
> or anything else in that area? The timing belt is covered, obviously,
> so I don't think there's a problem there, but I've heard about
> problems arising from this situation.
>
> Also, when I pulled into the driveway, the power steering seemed to go
> out. Would that be a side effect of the coolant going everywhere?
> I'm gonna install a new pump (or gaskets) myself, so I'll be able to
> do anything sort of cleanup necessary. Any advice on the coolant
> cleanup and/or pump install?
>
> Thanks, Volvo-Community-At-Large.
>
>

Grab the fan/water pump shaft and give it a wiggle, if it wiggles up and
down the pump is definitely shot. The coolant shouldn't have damaged
anything, that stuff is all pretty resistant to liquid since the area
under a car's hood is quite a harsh climate in general. I forget what
layout that year uses but the power steering pump may be on the same
belt as the water pump so bad bearing means loose slipping belt as well
as coolant leak.