[574cfmotorider]

Hello,

Have a brand new zforce 500 trail and just went out for its first off road ride.  I got it home and washed it, and as I was greasing the suspension (and by the way there seam to be very little grease in there from the factory) I noticed a few drips of coolant under the coolant reservoir.  After some research I see some guys did a flush and fill to remedy this, some say it goes away on it's own, some say could be a bad seal.  What are your thoughts here?  SXS has 12 miles on it.


Thanks!!

[NMKawierider]

Well, the weep tube is no where close to the reservoir...which is up front near the radiator. If you have a leak there and the reservoir is not over filled, check all the lines and clamps. If it is the weep tube which is off the water pump, many..well..most all CFM's mechanical seals (water pump seal) leak when new but most stop within a hundred miles or so as they break in. Some that don't...like mine, required a coolant change to a better grade coolant. That stopped mine for a while then started dripping again. In those cases adding a small amount, like a 1/4-1/3 cup, of an additive with a water pump lubrication fills the minor imperfections in the two surfaces and stops it..again. However, there are those that have too many and pronounced imperfections and/or an untrue shaft that nothing short of a complete replacement will cure. So run it a while and when you stop and it sits a bit..long enough to cool down, loosen the radiator cap to remove and static pressure and make sure it is filled to the very top...touching the cap and keep the recovery tank full (a bit above the full line is OK) and give it some time to see if it quits. If it slows to just a drip once in a while, a coolant change will probably fix it and/or adding some water pump lube.  Good luck. Your not alone

     

[Davydo]

Well, the weep tube is no where close to the reservoir...which is up front near the radiator. If you have a leak there and the reservoir is not over filled, check all the lines and clamps. If it is the weep tube which is off the water pump, many..well..most all CFM's mechanical seals (water pump seal) leak when new but most stop within a hundred miles or so as they break in. Some that don't...like mine, required a coolant change to a better grade coolant. That stopped mine for a while then started dripping again. In those cases adding a small amount, like a 1/4-1/3 cup, of an additive with a water pump lubrication fills the minor imperfections in the two surfaces and stops it..again. However, there are those that have too many and pronounced imperfections and/or an untrue shaft that nothing short of a complete replacement will cure. So run it a while and when you stop and it sits a bit..long enough to cool down, loosen the radiator cap to remove and static pressure and make sure it is filled to the very top...touching the cap and keep the recovery tank full (a bit above the full line is OK) and give it some time to see if it quits. If it slows to just a drip once in a while, a coolant change will probably fix it and/or adding some water pump lube.  Good luck. Your not alone

   

Hey NMK, was researching this because my 500 leaked some, but quit after a coolant change. But I've got a kymco mxu 450i which belongs to my son and our last ride out we encountered a deep mud hole and it clogged his radiator up to the point it started over heating the remainder of our ride, I had to a add water a few times to doctor it out of the woods and get home.   We didn't have anything to clean the radiator out. Long story short we got it home I changed the coolant, cleaned the radiator and ran it around the neighborhood. It seemed fine except now the weep hole at the water pump drips coolant. Seems to only with the motor running. You think the Preston treatment will fix this or I should just replace the mechanical seal? Thanks!

[NMKawierider]

Well, the weep tube is no where close to the reservoir...which is up front near the radiator. If you have a leak there and the reservoir is not over filled, check all the lines and clamps. If it is the weep tube which is off the water pump, many..well..most all CFM's mechanical seals (water pump seal) leak when new but most stop within a hundred miles or so as they break in. Some that don't...like mine, required a coolant change to a better grade coolant. That stopped mine for a while then started dripping again. In those cases adding a small amount, like a 1/4-1/3 cup, of an additive with a water pump lubrication fills the minor imperfections in the two surfaces and stops it..again. However, there are those that have too many and pronounced imperfections and/or an untrue shaft that nothing short of a complete replacement will cure. So run it a while and when you stop and it sits a bit..long enough to cool down, loosen the radiator cap to remove and static pressure and make sure it is filled to the very top...touching the cap and keep the recovery tank full (a bit above the full line is OK) and give it some time to see if it quits. If it slows to just a drip once in a while, a coolant change will probably fix it and/or adding some water pump lube.  Good luck. Your not alone

   

Hey NMK, was researching this because my 500 leaked some, but quit after a coolant change. But I've got a kymco mxu 450i which belongs to my son and our last ride out we encountered a deep mud hole and it clogged his radiator up to the point it started over heating the remainder of our ride, I had to a add water a few times to doctor it out of the woods and get home.   We didn't have anything to clean the radiator out. Long story short we got it home I changed the coolant, cleaned the radiator and ran it around the neighborhood. It seemed fine except now the weep hole at the water pump drips coolant. Seems to only with the motor running. You think the Preston treatment will fix this or I should just replace the mechanical seal? Thanks!

The constant high heat and pressure has...at least changed the two mating surfaces..most likely deeper scars then the pump lube can fill in but...it's worth a try and you can use it after you replace the seal if it doesn't work anyway. So I say try it...whatcha got to loose.

[Davydo]

Well, the weep tube is no where close to the reservoir...which is up front near the radiator. If you have a leak there and the reservoir is not over filled, check all the lines and clamps. If it is the weep tube which is off the water pump, many..well..most all CFM's mechanical seals (water pump seal) leak when new but most stop within a hundred miles or so as they break in. Some that don't...like mine, required a coolant change to a better grade coolant. That stopped mine for a while then started dripping again. In those cases adding a small amount, like a 1/4-1/3 cup, of an additive with a water pump lubrication fills the minor imperfections in the two surfaces and stops it..again. However, there are those that have too many and pronounced imperfections and/or an untrue shaft that nothing short of a complete replacement will cure. So run it a while and when you stop and it sits a bit..long enough to cool down, loosen the radiator cap to remove and static pressure and make sure it is filled to the very top...touching the cap and keep the recovery tank full (a bit above the full line is OK) and give it some time to see if it quits. If it slows to just a drip once in a while, a coolant change will probably fix it and/or adding some water pump lube.  Good luck. Your not alone

   

Hey NMK, was researching this because my 500 leaked some, but quit after a coolant change. But I've got a kymco mxu 450i which belongs to my son and our last ride out we encountered a deep mud hole and it clogged his radiator up to the point it started over heating the remainder of our ride, I had to a add water a few times to doctor it out of the woods and get home.   We didn't have anything to clean the radiator out. Long story short we got it home I changed the coolant, cleaned the radiator and ran it around the neighborhood. It seemed fine except now the weep hole at the water pump drips coolant. Seems to only with the motor running. You think the Preston treatment will fix this or I should just replace the mechanical seal? Thanks!

The constant high heat and pressure has...at least changed the two mating surfaces..most likely deeper scars then the pump lube can fill in but...it's worth a try and you can use it after you replace the seal if it doesn't work anyway. So I say try it...whatcha got to loose.

Good deal thanks!

[BoatFixx]

Somebody might have mentioned this, but water pumps are designed to weep a tiny bit if they want.
Of course if it starts leaking a lot then not so normal.

[Cragar]

Greetings. I’m new to this forum and have a question? I have an older 2007 500 2 up and have significant coolant in the oil. At first I thought it was the head gasket because compression was 30 psi. Upon further inspection I noticed lots of excess silicone around the water pump. Yep, I believe it is the mechanical seal. Can someone please tell me which way the 12 mm nut comes off the impeller? Clockwise or counterclockwise? I can’t seem to locate any info on this year of 500? Thank you very much. Craig in Midland, Ontario

[NMKawierider]

Greetings. I’m new to this forum and have a question? I have an older 2007 500 2 up and have significant coolant in the oil. At first I thought it was the head gasket because compression was 30 psi. Upon further inspection I noticed lots of excess silicone around the water pump. Yep, I believe it is the mechanical seal. Can someone please tell me which way the 12 mm nut comes off the impeller? Clockwise or counterclockwise? I can’t seem to locate any info on this year of 500? Thank you very much. Craig in Midland, Ontario

I can tell you how to tell on any pump. First understand that all impeller pumps sling fluid from the center to the outside edge of the impeller using it's veins and centrifugal force. Looking straight-on to the impeller you can see the direction it needs to take to do this. Now imagine it rotating. While rotating you touch or put a wrench on the retainer nut. The nut should TIGHTEN with the pump shaft turning in it's normal direction. So..if you hold the shaft and impeller and turn the retainer nut/bolt in the same direction as the shaft turns normally, it should loosen. This applies to any object attached to any spinning shaft that is not fixed with splines or some other form of retention....even Chinese manufacturing. But also understand that many impellers have a nut-looking part cast in the center only to remove the impeller from the shaft as it is threaded onto the shaft which looks like you you have per the oldest parts list I can find on the 500s. It shoes no separate retainer nut (see below). The same principle still applies. The impeller will loosen when turned in the direction the shaft normally turns in operation...ie if the shaft turns clockwise to pump fluid, then turn the impeller..or nut clockwise to loosen. 


Also, the weep port should have allowed that leaking coolant to escape without being forced back through the oil seal so it must be blocked. Be sure to open it up.
 

[Cragar]

Thank you for your reply. Your explanation is excellent. It looks to me that this 12mm (nut) or what looks like a nut is actually part of the impeller casting from what I can see. I have tried with minimal amount of force to remove and my gut instinct tells me it’s not coming off. So your explanation makes sense. I’m just wondering how I should go about removing this impeller? Do I just try and pull off? Or turn it in the direction of rotation? I have taken many impellers out of small engines. Usually Polaris Liberty snowmobile engines and they have a separate nut holding the impeller on. So this CFM is different for me for sure. Thx. Craig.

[NMKawierider]

Thank you for your reply. Your explanation is excellent. It looks to me that this 12mm (nut) or what looks like a nut is actually part of the impeller casting from what I can see. I have tried with minimal amount of force to remove and my gut instinct tells me it’s not coming off. So your explanation makes sense. I’m just wondering how I should go about removing this impeller? Do I just try and pull off? Or turn it in the direction of rotation? I have taken many impellers out of small engines. Usually Polaris Liberty snowmobile engines and they have a separate nut holding the impeller on. So this CFM is different for me for sure. Thx. Craig.

It's always safest to follow a service manual. Finding one for one that old might be a challenge but it would be worth it. Some of these are fixed to the shafts..some are threaded on. The fixed ones don't usually have a place for a socket though. I'll PM you a link to an older manual and it's probably correct enough to do this.

[NMKawierider]

Shoot just looking if yours is like this you can buy a complete water pump unit and just bolt it straight on. Lucky!

[Cragar]

Thanks again for the reply. The impeller is designed to turn counterclockwise. I turn my wrench on it just now counterclockwise and it does not want to come loose. I don’t want to have to take a “Johnson” bar to it or I know something will break. Do I have to remove the impeller in order to replace the water pump?
Thanks. Craig.

[NMKawierider]

Thanks again for the reply. The impeller is designed to turn counterclockwise. I turn my wrench on it just now counterclockwise and it does not want to come loose. I don’t want to have to take a “Johnson” bar to it or I know something will break. Do I have to remove the impeller in order to replace the water pump?
Thanks. Craig.

Consult the manual I sent you. If it is like yours, then yes, it and the shaft must be removed. I took a quick look at it and as is with many Chinese instruction, there's a sense of vagueness or incompleteness to their instructions. They probably use locking compound on it but I just do not know. It does want you to remove the unit from the engine and do all the rebuilding on the bench.