water leaking like crazy

[djalkyd]

this may be a long read but i need some help.

i had to change the head gasket on my 01 camry and now that everything is back together, the car runs great but i am leaking water like crazy.

i talked to the toyota dealership and they told me that the head bolts were ok to re-use but from my understanding, they are torque to yield bolts and cant be re-used.

so now i have water leaking like crazy from the water pump. the side of the block is getting a little damp so it looks like the head didn't seal with the new gasket.

there is a little milky oil in the radiator now but i was thinking it may be from me changing the gasket and all. there is no coolant in the oil or on the dipstick from what i can tell.

i am just wondering about this water leakage from the pump area. as the car runs, i can see the water drip where the 2 bolts hold the hard lines by the thermostat.

i really don't want to go to the dealer because they wanted over 3 grand to do the job and i called about a water pump and they want over 600 for that job and i am a student so i cant afford that.

if anyone can lend some advise, that would be great.

i am wondering if the head gasket is somehow blocking a coolant passage and causing excessive pressure in the coolant flow and causing the pump to leak.

please help.

thanks

[marc780]

i talked to the toyota dealership and they told me that the head bolts were ok to re-use but from my understanding, they are torque to yield bolts and cant be re-used.

Well, i would try the easiest things first, naturally - step 1 for me would be, buy new head bolts and replace them, one at a time, with the head still on the car. And maybe this might seal the leak, worth a try anyway before ripping off the head all over again.
There are some things to keep in mind when replacing head bolts, chances are you know them already but here goes.
When changing head bolts there are several important things that should/must be done.

1. The head bolts must be clean and unstretched.
2. The threads are lubricated with a few drops of engine oil.
3. The thread holes should be blown out and cleaned with a brush.
4. The head bolts should be installed in steps and in a sequence - that is, do not tighten a head bolt down to final torque, all at one step!
First all the bolts are tightened to 1/3 of their final torque. Then you start over and tighten them to 2/3 and then to final torque.
5. Most important, use the recommended tightening sequence (image).

am wondering if the head gasket is somehow blocking a coolant passage and causing excessive pressure in the coolant flow and causing the pump to leak.

My guess is no; this would only have happened if you put the head gasket on upside down (and it's hard to miss the word "TOP" printed on the head gasket in large letters). Or else if you had somehow installed the WRONG head gasket.
So if you still have the packaging for the head gasket you could double check the parts number, to make sure you installed the right one.

[djalkyd]

well i took it to the dealership and they ran test and said the head gasket is fine and that the leak is coming out of the thermostat housing so i am pretty relieved on that one.

i guess i fumbled a little on the cam timing though. they said there is a growl coming from the valve cover.

i followed the book word for word and the car ran great when i was done. all the timing marks were dead on. the only thing i didn't do was use the MP grease on the gears on the cam so i am wondering if it is a growl from the gears meshing together.

i suppose it sounds like a rear differential when the backlash isn't exactly right.

[toyomoho]

Are you sure it is coming from the valve train and not the timing belt area? Use a piece of hose as a stethoscope to run down the area of the noise. If valve train, pull off the cover and take a look. See if all timing marks line up. Pull out the spark plugs and turn the engine over to see if there is something binding, gears or cam. The 5SFE had a sub gear and wave washer setup on of the cam driving gears. If this engine has the same setup, did you reinstall the gears correctly?

[marc780]

guess i fumbled a little on the cam timing though. they said there is a growl coming from the valve cover.

You should always believe the dealership, the won't steer ya wrong.

You sound like you have some mechanical competence, i.e. you trust what you did to this car. So, have you heard this noise yourself? You know your car, they don't. If the car runs ok, more or less normal, and no lights coming on dash, no oil consumption -
If it works, leave it be.