Smoking Engine Block

Devin24 · December 2, 2015

I have a 1999 Chevy Silverado 1500, single cab with a 4.8L V8 engine with about 225,000 miles on it. I have a antifreeze/coolant leak and have been having to put a whole new jug of antifreeze/coolant in my truck every day for the past 6 days now. I just found the leak right underneath the engine block, just in front of the oil pan. It was a pretty steady stream but now my engine block has started smoking. My question is this. Is my truck done for and should I just buy a new car or can I just replace the needed parts and save it? I want to try to avoid buying a new car for now but I feel my trucks days are numbered.

00Silverado4x4 · December 2, 2015

Sounds like your water pump is taking a leak on you. Personally, as long as the coolant isn't getting into your oil I'd repair the problem and keep driving it. Water pump aren't too expensive and from what I've been told/researched not a real hard job to do. Big thing is to make sure the water pump gaskets seal up real good.

txab · December 2, 2015

Water pump

Spurshot · December 2, 2015

If you can get a mirror or look from below, look for a small hole on the water pump on the bottom of the pulley snout. There should be a drain hole between the front bearing and the rear bearing of the water pump. When you see water coming out of this hole, that means the rear seal on the bearing is letting water past it. What happens is the bearing gets worn out and it leads to the seal getting worn out.

GM sells a kit consisting of the pump and gasket. I think they also have one that has the thermostat housing, gasket and thermostat. Do yourself a favor, change both as well as the hoses. No sense changing a water pump and using old hoses and belts. Also, consider changing the belt and idler pulleys on the serpentine belt. Those bearings wear out too. Trust me.

The whole job shouldn't take you more than a few hours if you've never done it before. Less if you have experience.