Coolant leak

Failed WP is possible and there is the WP seal, and some hoses right there that can leak. Then there is the valley hose and nipple that can leak and the coolant can run forward and look just like a WP leak. Bottom line is you gotta get in there and look.

 

Grab a flashlight & look under the intake for fluid from the hose off the reservoir. It can pour down above the wp.

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Easiest way to diagnose this is by pressure testing the system while it's cool, so as to make hunting for the source of the leak less unpleasant. Sometimes small leaks only show up at operating temp but this leak is big enough it shouldn't matter.

You can buy a Stant pressure tester for pretty cheap. Even Amazon has them. Some chain auto parts stores rent them as well. Very handy tool.

If there's no leak when the engine is cold either your thermostat or water pump impeller failed and the pressure built up by the overheated block caused coolant to be pushed out of the overflow. Let's keep our fingers crossed in hope that's not what happened.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

 

If the water pump seal was leaking I'd expect the leaked fluid to be warm. But if the coolant wasn't circulating at all the pressure built up in the block would eventually push the coolant stored in the expansion tank out of the overflow, and since that fluid would not have been circulating through the engine it would not be hot.

I'm actually hoping that whatever leaked was indeed hot but lost that heat in the air and through contact with the concrete. Because the scenario involving coolant not circulating gets ugly quickly.

Did you monitor the water temp gauge whilst driving, and did you notice anything out of the ordinary?

 

How do you know it's the water pump that is making that noise under power?

 

But the leak is coming from the front of the engine (waterpump area) and not the back of the engine (where the expansion tank resides).

 

That looks like a fair amount of fluid. I would have thought a cold pressure test would reveal a leak like that. I agree, it dosnt look like the expansion tank overflow area. That exits on the RH side of the subframe near the wheel arch on mine.

 

Odd noise could be antifreeze on a pulley or belt. I had a small hose from the expansion tank that sprung a leak and it went straight down the front of the engine, but that is on a 355. Once i pulled the expansion tank loose, it became obvious. Hope yours is something simple like mine was.

 

Definitely do a coolant pressure test man, only way to check for a coolant leak.

 

It appears to be coming form the front-middle of the engine.

1st check under the intake manifold. There is a water manifold with the temp sensors on it. The hose that goes to the expansion tank often leaks at the fitting as the fitting corrodes. This will leak coolant forward to the front of the engine and drip down behind timing belt. Also there is a hose from that water manifold to the water pump. also check that. If they are good then move onto the 2 hoses that go from front of engine to the tubes that connect to radiators. If not either of them then start looking at the water pump. These pumps are not often known to fail, especially like this, however anything possible.

See of water manifold and barb which corrodes
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Yes, the small hose fitting is notorious for corrosion and leaks. This is what I found and how I permanently fixed it:
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Mine leaked one time at the thermostat...