960 Water Leak

[_tateR]

So I did the timing belt not too long ago ('96 960) with only a few minor irritations (trying to keep the belt taut around the gears just before you pop the tensioner), checked around the water pump (nice and dry) so I buttoned it up and now I see a puddle of antifreeze under the car the next morning.

I popped off the timing belt cover and looked around the water pump - looks pretty dry in there so I crawled under the car to see if I could spot anything. Saw some drips from one of the oil cooler hoses, but no obvious break or crack. Then I noticed a drip from just above the oil cooler. It's dripping from what looks like a 3" x 1/2" cover plate bolted into the block by two 9 mm bolts (just above the oil cooler and just below the aluminum cover plate for the crank gear - I can take a photo if needed). I have no idea what this cover plate is, and tighntening up the two bolts did nothing. Could there be coolant leak behing the water pump and finding it's way down to this coverplate and just running around it and then drip? I really DONT want to do a water pump if I don't have to so if anyone has any ideas I'll all ears.

yeah yeah, probalby should have done the pump while I was in there but it looked so good!

Thanks

[John2x240]

Check under the water pump for a weep hole (there may be one on top too). I had a similar issue with my Suburban. There was nothing coming from the top weep hole, but after some messing around I found that there also was a bottom weep hole and that's where the leak was.