MrMiata

Mazda MX-5 Miata · Cooling

NC Water Pump Chain Side Leaks

MrMiata house reference

The NC water pump lives on the timing-chain side of the engine and is driven off the chain, not by an accessory belt. That makes a leaking pump more labor than on a belt-driven engine, so treat a weep seriously.

Because the pump is behind the front cover on the chain side, you cannot swap it in ten minutes like an accessory-belt pump. Plan for real disassembly.

Signs of a failing pump