So i replaced the water pump a while back and have a small coolant leak while there is pressure in the system. I'm guessing it's coming from behind the water pump where i did not clean off the old gasket. Does this sound like a common diagnosis of this leak?

 

The timing chain cover gasket probably got damaged. You can try tightening the bolts some more.

 

Permatex makes a tube of gray RTV specifically for coolant. Comes in a small tube and works great. If you can't get the leak stopped try smearing that on the metal surfaces to fill gaps in the metal and clean all the old gasket off.

a little extra time scraping can save a bunch of time later...

 

Yeah i was actually thinking about that. just put some around the water pump to try and fill the gaps. I got some red Permatex... that's what NAPA gave me.

 

Do you know how the ultra black holds up to coolant? That's what I tend to use on almost everything.

 

most likly its the bypass hose behind the waterpump

 

He is not talking about smearing it around the outside.(which will never work anyway) He is talking about doing it correctly when it was/is apart.

 

+1 Take it apart...again. Scrap off ALL the old gasket. Clean the gasket mating surfaces with Acetone or Paint thinner. Apply a THIN coat of RTV on both sides of the gasket. Then torque it down to spec.

 

so its most likely the gasket?, or what "1998ram5.9" was saying about the bypass hose. cause i never even thought of that....

 

Could be the ECT sensor, thermostat housing gasket ,upper hose, bypass hose as stated above or like I said, the timing cover gasket got damaged, which is fairly common.