This is my guess too. If the thermostat won't open the fluid will push past the rubber gasket and out the housing.

 

darn mexicans, saved us again

 

Well just for good measure I checked the passenger side just below the oil filter where the "53" has been known to be stamped as well from what I read.........nothing!! Boy I think I dodged a bullet here, I'll check the thermo and hope it's that... from the looks of it there has been dry coolant just below it. Maybe I just got excited, but at least I know my block is not the dreaded "53" now. Thanks guys for all the fast responses thats what makes this the best site! I'll keep you all posted as soon as I find the problem! Chris

 

There was someone else recently with a coolant leak near where you describe yours (although his was being flung about by the fan too) and it ended up being the water pump. Either way it sounds like you have a fairly inexpensive repair ahead of you. Good luck, and report back what you found.

 

The 53's weren't put in the H.O. trucks were they???????

 

Yes, they were...I have one.

 

also the block heater is installed on the passenger side toward the front and has been known to leak

 

The earliest 01 HOs occasionally got the 53 block. Lots of casting upgrades between early 01 and late 02. Mine is a late-build Mexican (teksid) block, supposedly the strongest 2nd gen block they made.

The non-Mexican blocks were cast by TUPY (just like your turbo exhaust elbow casting) and have a 5x number- 53, 54, 55, 56..

JH

 

Well from my best guess it's the water pump but what dodgezilla 04 said has go me thinking that maybe it's the block heater, either way I bought a water pump and was gonna install it tonight but got to working to late. The leak looks like it is coming from behind the water pump from the best that I can tell, but as you all know liquid has a funny way of running all over the place especially when there is a fan blowing. Is there any way to test the water pump or block heater pretty easy so that I don't just keep throwing parts at the truck?

 

At the front of the block you have another possibility that has not been mentioned. Look close at the head gasket in the first inch of the head on the passenger side. That is a known weakness. The water pump has two types of vents depending on which one you have. One type has a weep hole, generally on the side. Those with no weep hole have a depresson in the casting where it bolts to the block, it is on the bottom of the water pump casting and appears to be a leak at the casting, this is probably where yours is.

 

Thanks Haulin in Dixie I'll check that first thing. I'll keep you all posted.

 

Just got a 97 and figured I'd check and all I seen on the drivers side is 11 (A7 I think) does that sound like a block casting or did I not look in the right place?

 

Hello,

The area you describe is a common area for a head gasket leak. I have been there myself.

Scott

 

I always thought the 53 blocks cracked on the pass side, not driver's, but I could be wrong...

 

Yep, I can speak for two of them. They crack on the passenger side near the rear at the top of the depression in the block. Generally eight or ten inches long and identified by dried antifreeze and stop leak running down the block.

The head gaskets like to go at the passenger side at the front and at the drivers side on the rear.