How to Check for a Water Pump Leak on a C6 Corvette

The C6 Corvette was first introduced in 2005 sporting the 6-liter LS2 engine. Since that time, there have been three additional engines offered with the C6 Corvette. These engines are the 6.2-liter LS3, 7.0-liter LS7, and the supercharged 6.2-liter LS9. Each engine variant has a belt-driven water pump mounted on the front of the engine block, just below the throttle body on the intake manifold. A polymer and rubber O-ring gasket seals the water pump against the engine block. As the vehicle ages, this gasket can degrade and cause the water pump to leak. A water pump leak can be easily diagnosed by visually inspecting the water pump and its surrounding area.

Instructions

1

Shut off the engine and open the hood. Apply the parking brake to ensure that the car remains still while youre working in the engine compartment.

2

Loosen the clamp holding the air intake duct to the throttle body with a flat-head screwdriver. Loosen the clamp holding the air intake duct to the mass airflow sensor with a flat-head screwdriver. Remove the air intake duct from the vehicle.

3

Locate the water pump on the front of the engine block. It is directly below the intake manfold and has a large-diameter black steel pulley mounted to its front side.

4

Shine a work light around the water pump and visually inspect for coolant dripping from the front or back of the water pump.

5

Place an inspection mirror near the water pump where it meets the engine block. Shine a work light down onto the inspection mirror to illuminate the crevices around the water pump in order to see small leaks. Look for any trace of coolant, however small, as the entire area should be completely dry if the water pump is properly sealed to the engine block. If there is any sign of leakage, the water pump must be removed to replace the gasket.