Coolant leak problem

[xzaviergomez]

I am worried about my ranger.

When it began to get warm outside the truck began to spill coolant on the ground after parking the truck after a long drive. I had to refill it often. Then it started doing it occasionally even after short drives. I discovered it was leaking from the heater core, so I bypassed it.

All was well for a couple of days, no leak. Today I drove it a very short distance, parked it, and noticed a pool of liquid below my truck. I drove it a short distance again, parked it, and watched it dump all of it's coolant onto the ground. It looked like it was coming from somewhere around the front/bottom of the engine, behind the fan. I imagine this is where the water pump is located?

Anybody have diagnostic advice? Are these two problems related or do you think I just coincidentally had two parts causing leakage one after the other?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to just install a new water pump if there is something else causing the problem. Obviously, head gasket is my worst fear.

edit:typo

 

[exbass94]

It's probably just a coincedence, but you most likely have a bad water pump.

 

[88_Eddie]

^
what he said

 

[xzaviergomez]

That's sort of what I thought, but a buddy of mine told me that if it was the water pump it would just drip out, it wouldn't spill. It's pretty much dumping it's coolant.

 

[shane96ranger]

About 10 years ago my friend had an 87 Lincoln Continental that we jumped off of a 3 foot hill. When we got out, it was dumping out of the weep hole like crazy. Weird thing was, we let it cool down and filled it up and it never leaked again.

My point is, a lot of water can come out of that weep hole for how small it is. Especially with the pressure that builds in the cooling system.

 

[RangerNtheWoods]

I would have to agree with exbass94. Mine had the same problem...just replaced the pump and now it only leaks outa the water neck

 

[snake]

Don't replace parts until it is properly diagnosed. If you don't have a pressure tester, just fill the rad, and with the engine off, shoot some air through the coolant recovery tank rubber hose toward the radiator- with the rad cap in place. Have the compressor pressure down below 20 PSI or you may create yet a third leak... the pressure should hold in the radiator and let you look for the leak with the engine off. Good luck.