The title says it all. I just finished replacing the timing belt on my 97 4runner (the old one broke on the freeway with 50k on the belt ). While I was in there, I replaced the water pump, the two pulleys, and the tensioner. When I was done, it fired right up, but coolant was dripping beneath the 4runner pretty bad. This was my first timing belt job, so I'm sure I made a newb mistake. Yesterday I pulled off the upper timing belt cover to watch the water pump while the engine was running. I saw that the water pump gasket wasn't doing it's job and there was some dripping. I didn't see a drip big enough to account for all the fluid I was losing out of the bottom of the vehicle (but I also couldn't see the whole pump). I'm obviously going to have to tear back into it, but I have a few questions:

1. Does anybody have any ideas on what to look out for? The water pump is the only thing that can leak coolant in that area, right?

2. The gasket that came with the pump seemed pretty crappy. Does anybody know of a better gasket?

3. Is there a way to test the new water pump to see if it's defective?

Thanks

 

Is it the 3.4l engine? If so, did you forget to hook up the coolant hose from the water pump to the oil cooler?

Is it a Toyota OEM water pump and gasket?

 

Nope, but I did forget to clamp it. I checked that though and I don't think it's leaking at all.

I bought the pump off ebay in a kit, but it does say it's an Aisin pump. I'm not sure about the gasket.

 

Did the thermostat gasket get twisted on install? I've never had a problem with the Aisin pump or gasket. The water pump mating surface is nice and clean on the block?

 

I'm pretty sure the t-stat and gasket was in there correctly. The surface seemed fairly clean. Apparently not clean enough though! Any gasket recommendations?

 

If it came with a metal gasket you have to get absoloutly all the old gasket off the block. The first one I did there was one spot that was a pain to get clean but I decided I did "good enough". EEEEEEE! wrong. Coolant was leaking out before I even started it. Pull it and make sure it is spotless.

 

Sorry my phone posts things twice sometimes

 

Thanks, that's probably what happened. I'm going to tear it apart right now.