so my mates TN Elite is leaking coolant from the timing cover... that's right! the timing cover...

i took the alternator off... and it's leaking like around there from the timing cover seal... there is plenty of grease/oil around there but i certianly can tell you that it's leaking...

so what could it be? i mean i thought behind the timing cover it was just oil - for the chain (considering i just helped put my mates sigma astron 2.6 back together)

from what i can tell, the oil DOES NOT have water in it either... and it does not have any of the symptoms of a blown head gasket before anyone says anything... it just drips coolant - especially when it's hot

any ideas?

There is a useless coolant opening from the front of the block this feeds a cavity in the 2.6L magna timing case.
This cavity was the port for the RWD waterpump and is pointless in a Magna.
You would think that Mitsubishi would have blanked either the block or the timing case at the mating face rather than leaving a thin wall cavity in the timing case to corrode.
I have seen a few 2.6L Magnas that have corroded the timing case and either lost coolant into the timing chain gallery and oil or to the outside behind the alternator like your mate's car does.

Too fix the leak properly he will have to replace the timing case with one that has no internal corrosion.

There is a useless coolant opening from the front of the block this feeds a cavity in the 2.6L magna timing case.
This cavity was the port for the RWD waterpump and is pointless in a Magna.
You would think that Mitsubishi would have blanked either the block or the timing case at the mating face rather than leaving a thin wall cavity in the timing case to corrode.
I have seen a few 2.6L Magnas that have corroded the timing case and either lost coolant into the timing chain gallery and oil or to the outside behind the alternator like your mate's car does.

Too fix the leak properly he will have to replace the timing case with one that has no internal corrosion.
Could you show the port? I'll block it off as I rebuild motors for FWD, as preventative maintainance. (Never actually had that problem, though.)

the port is the only opening into the coolant gallery on the front face of the block. The hole is sort of rectangular and to blank it off at the block (unless you were MMAL and casting them new) would involve welding a plate that had been made to fit into the block, this could affect the blocks strength or cause cracking later.
The best preventative fix for this problem and other corrosion problems is when rebuilding a 2.6L engine, fit a corrosion free timing case and other alloy parts. Then always use quality coolant at the correct mixture.