Nah, its time for new coolant anyway. I am pretty sure I located the leak, but right now I cant tell if it is leaking between the pump and timing cover or the timing cover and the block

 

Does anyone think there is a chance they will honor the warranty? I am 500 miles over right now.

 

Might as well try to get them to cover it under warranty. Worse case you are no worse off than you are right now.

nateroach

 

yeah...all they can say is "no", in which case you just continue on with what you were going to do.

 

Well a new "developement". I was all around under the check and I am 99% sure that the water pump is weeping out the bottom of the pump where the pump and timing cover mate up.
HOWEVER, I saw a few drips of coolant back by the bell housing/oil pan! WTF! It is driping down from in between the back of the oil pan and some kind of mounting flange that the bell housing bolts on to. I wiped it dry last night and today I had a wet spot in the driveway a little smaller than the palm of your hand... so I know it is a very slow drip.
Do you guys think that it is coolant weeping from the pump making it to the back by the oil pan? What would leak coolant in the back of the engine? are there any coolant hoses back there? FWIW I checked and as far as I can tell it doesnt look like there is anything driping from the back of the heads, side of the heads, or anything dripping onto the bell housing.

 

Well doing the water pump tonight/tomorrow. I am doing it in my garage so I am trying to drain the coolant as cleanly as possible so Id rather not just pull the lower hose.
Where is the drain petcock on these trucks? To me it looks like it is on the passanger side of the radiator and it loosens with a allen key? Is it a 1/4 turn bolt? I dont wanna strip the thing out.

 

I went to drain, flush, and fill my radiator today and noticed a slow drip leak as well. Mine seems to be where the thermostat housing mounts to the water pump, though. But I had fluid in strange places underneath the truck as well. As it dripped, it would form another drop where it was landing that would then run down and drip somewhere else lower, and so on. Took me a while to trace it to the source but I'm thinking/hoping it's the thermostat housing gasket. And, OF COURSE, nobody in town had one in stock. So, AS USUAL, had to ask someone to order me one and I can try to go at it again tomorrow.

Best I can tell, the petcock is opened with a hex socket.

 

Thanks man. I just tore into the truck today and am starting the water pump replacement now.

Good luck!

 

I know I might be the oddball and Im tying to go against the crowd here but Ive always felt the HEMI didnt NEED HOAT.

Thats NOT to say it isnt there for a reason but Ive been using Prestone in my 04 since I bought it new. Still got the OEM rad and water pump. I did change the stat but not because of failure but more for performance as I went to a 180*

Im in the 80k range and obviously no over heating or crap like that.

 

My pump didn't fail, just the gasket did. I used auto zone brand "mix with any color" coolant for the last year and there looked to be no abnormal build up... everything looked clean.
I re-used the t-stat and t-stat gasket... I am sure that will come to bite me in the *** soon