Hello, everyone. I am looking at my 1998 Ranger with the 2.5L engine. There seems to be a leak coming from the water pump. However, the leak is not the water pump, it seems to be leaking coolant from the plastic tube that inserts into the pump(the tube is located under the alternator, and connects to the lower radiator hose). Has anyone else ever had the problem? It happened right after I replaced the thermostat gasket and the water pump gasket. Is this even possible? Water pump and thermostat housing are torqued down to factory specs.

 

Part number should be this: F87Z8290BB

Not sure how that seals inside the water pump

Was there an O-ring in the water pump?
May need to loosen its two bolts re-align the tube then re-tighten the bolts

 

I don't think there was an o-ring on the inlet valve. Do you have any recommendations on where to get that original part. I've had it with Shopfordpartsusa.com. Shipping was so slow.

 

Check with local Ford Dealer, doesn't seem to be an expensive part, they can also check if there is an o-ring that is included or needed
They can also tell you how long it will take to get it, if they don't have it locally

 

Thanks RonD! I'll post updates here including pictures within the next week or two depending on when I get the part.

 

Alright, update time!
So today I spent the entire day fighting with the Inlet tubing. It turns out that there is an O-ring for the inlet tube. When I replaced the water pump's O-ring, The inlet tube's gasket must have gotten moved somehow. I still replaced the inlet tube because it is old and worn down. So for anyone else that has this problem now or in the future, here is what I know now about this truck's cooling system:

1. There is an O-ring for the inlet tube.
2. That O-ring under no circumstance should be put into the VALVE on the Water pump (otherwise you will have not have a perfect seal for the system and a very slow leak, it should also not have any flat surfaces on it, if it does replace it), (Do Not under any Circumstance try to silicone the inlet tube or inside the water pump, this will damage your thermostat and possibly the water pump)
3. Save yourself time by disconnecting the battery and removing the alternator when you replace the inlet tube, you do not need to remove the radiator fan or water pump for this job.
4. Torque everything down properly so you don't have to redo the job.

***Below Will Be a couple posts explaining what everything is and where it goes to***

 

When you pull your inlet tube out it should look like this entire piece. What is circled inserts into your water pump. There should be a little O-ring that is flush up against a the lip. If it has flat surfaces, replace it. If not, I would still recommend replacing it to keep this problem from happening, however if it is healthy, it is still safe to use. Make sure when you reinsert the inlet tube into the water-pump that the new O-ring is flush against the lip. (Move the O-ring to the hump)

The other 2 ports are the following:
The small one goes to the heater core. The heater core is part of the cab's heating system.

The bigger one connects to your lower radiator hose.
Before starting the engine, make sure you have every clamp tightened down in the right spot as well as every bolt torqued down to factory specs for safety.