ok i replaced timing chain and waterpump with new bypass hose and t-stat finished it all up but i have question my upper raidiator hose is pretty preasureized and really hot but i here water in it and temp gauge reads about 140 i remeber before the upper hose was not preasureized and not hot the heater blows hot air so the water pump is working is this normal or is my gauge reading wrong and is hotter than i think

 

Check the connector on the sending unit for the gauge. Also, park your truck at as severe an angle as you can (or, are willing to....) such that the passenger front is the highest point, and burp your cooling system again.

 

just replaced my own yesterday on my 99.. all i took off was the fan and fan shroud.. job was really easy, took me about 2-3 hours.. make sure when you take out the screws from the old, put them into the holes on the new so you know what goes where.. because there are different sizes.. So no you only really have to take out the fan and shroud

 

I have a nice coolant leak ... ummm stream ... coming from left side of timing cover now. Thanks for all your tips. Hopefully will be able to fix this Friday.

By the way, I changed the water pump about 14 months ago. I had the 'coolant smell' as well. Last weekend I 'flushed' the system, hence two days later I have a streaming leak (pore in, drains out kind of leak).