I recently noticed a very strong antifreeze scent around my truck. Very noticeable around the front fender area when the truck is idling at normal operating temp. It has never dripped on the driveway, but today I got underneath it with a flashlight and it appears it COULD be from the water pump gasket area. There is a small amount on the end of the crankshaft (harmonic balancer?) that I believe came from above it. Is the water pump known to go on these trucks? 185,000 miles and I have owned it since new. 3 Coolant changes have been done. Is there somewhere else I should look/inspect? Does a water pump change require special tools besides basic sockets and wrenches? Is there a DIY link?

 

Could be your timing chain cover upper left corner when looking at engine, thats usually a common spot to blow a chunk of gasket out from my own experience, Started out a small leak then let loose like a small **** stream. Could be numerous things dig in and start checking could be bypass hose ect ect...

 

i changed my waterpump at 191K, so id say its about tim for a change, but i made the mistake on not fixing the timing cover, and a week after fixing the water pump, i had to take t back apart to do the timing gasket.....which i should have done the chain as well...but there was no slack.

If i were you, i do the whole 9 yards, water pump,timing cover gasket, timing chain, thermostat, and bypass hose.....could get all that for less than 200 bucks....theres many write ups on how to do it yorself if your not to experianced.

 

The water pump has a inspector hole at the bottom, not easy to see, you will need a mirror to check it, just bellow the fan clutch. You will need to remove the fan blades, so a big adjustable wrench will come handy (if you have the 5.9l 360 V8, the nut is counter clock wise - if you will use a hammer to hit the wrench, remove the oil dipstick to not break it) , I think that the bolts are 15mm and one of the bolts is a torx 45.The bolts that holds the fan shrould are 10mm. A pair of water pump pliers to remove the hose clamps you you will be ok, remember to use a torque wrench on the mounting bolts and that they have different lengths. Do a search for water pump here, you will find instructions there. Good luck.

 

what inspecter hole?......and if you have to take all that apart just to lok at the inspector hole,just replace the WP

 

I had the timing cover gasket replaced a few years ago. A shop did it for me. You need a special tool to remove the harmonic balancer-correct?

 

I had the exact same issue, I had just replaced my WP about 6 months ago and noticed the same scent. I was PEEEEEod. Need a new radiator cap, go figure.

 

If it's not overheating,or dripping any, I wouldn't jump thru my a$$ to do anything. I would keep an eye on the coolant level and temp gauge, and see what happens. I could easily be a hose problem.Check your hose connections and hose clamps first.

 

keep an eye on the dreaded heater core too....

 

Truck has never gotten warm, and coolant level drops ever so slowly. Really not worth mentioning. I was just gonna leave it too, but in 3 weeks or so work will pick up for me and I'll be on the road a lto with it, so I wanted it 100% before then.

Heater core was replaced about 50,000 miles ago. The smell is definitely around the engine bay.

To get at the timing cover, I need to pull the harmonic balancer-correct? What tools are required for that?