well, i'm out of town on a job and the lil' lady calls me to tell me she was gonna go for a joy ride and she had a problem, summed up she started it and claims that steam/ smoke came from the engine bay. cuts it off and then she opens the hood (unwisely if it had been a ruptured hose!) and claims that it smells sweet (antifreeze prolly).
well, what are the obvious causes other than a ruptured hose?
anyone replaced a water pump and any idea on cost and time to install?
what other major issues could cause a spontaneous coolant leak? radiator?? Cost??
-i'd bet on it being most likely a hose considering the fact it was at start up and was noticed immediately.

 

First of all, steam and smoke don't just immediatly start, the engine has to be hot so evidently it was driven some distance before the problem became apparent. The thermostat can split at a seam as can the overflow reservoir and the radiator as they have mainly plastic construction and seams. Usually the water pump will start weeping and you notice a coolant loss over time rather than all at once. You really can't diagnose until you can get a visual.

 

The coolant resevoir on DI's was prone tobursting at the seams and there was a recall on it. This may have happened to yours.
But for it to be all of a sudden when she started the truck it would have to be a something under pressure. ANd the truck already hot from it being driven.
We cannot give youi any guesetemates until you get home and look at it.
Obviously she cannot drive it.

 

oh, u know i never asked if it was driven before she had the incident in the driveway. honestly i was just hoping to get some ideas on what a radiator, a water pump, and a reservoir tank may end up costing me and the time involved.
-once i know something i'll post a reply, but if u have done any of the above repairs let me know what i'm getting into. thanx

 

www.atlanticbritish.com

 

Fill the coolant system and have it TOWED, not drive, to your mechqanic to have it inspected.

 

turns out it is coolant, i came home and looked the truck over really well, checked the fluids and all that, started it and in less than a minute from being cold and sitting it had coolant steam coming from behind the engine.
-upon closer inspection it looks like the steam is getting heated on the passenger side catalytic converter.
- so to help w/ my search what coolant lines run near the rear of the engine onthe passenger side of the truck? maybe it isn't a coolant line exactly (maybe the heater core?) but since i don't have alot of time to dive into it i'll ask for info first and then tear into it.

 

The only coolant line that runs at the back of the engine is the heater lines. It could very well be leaking and running down the exhaust Y-pipe and then turning to steam once it hits the cat.
Oil wont smoke like that unless the exhaust is very hot.

 

oh, the coolant isn't pouring out of the leak, it seems that it becomes heated in a cycle relating to the water pump i guess. maybe every few minutes after the initial start up it steamed..... then about 2 minutes later.... and then not again.
-seems there is a slight bit more noise from the drivers side valve cover also. maybe i haven't noticed it before but i have a fairly keen ear when it comes to motors and this isn't something i have heard recently.....(however i have only had it for 2k miles!!)
-hey disco mike.... i don't have a mechanic for this old rig! i figured if i can't fix it w/ what i can learn on here or what i already know then it will become a very nice and easily fixed toy for someone else...... and it will be cheap!!! u see where i'm comin' from right?

 

You are going to have to pressure test the system to see where it is leaking from. You can rent a cooling system pressure tester from AutoZone.