gotta 03 silverado, 5.3 with a few bolt on mods but no internal mods. my coolant keeps randomly disappearing. im seeing no signs of any leaks or puddles on the ground. ive heard all kinds of ****, could be coming in threw the head and burning up in the combustion chamber, could be water pump. so i come to yall to help me figure out what it may be. ill be taking the truck on a 5hr drive in 2 weeks so id like to figure it out before then. any help would be great.
thanks

 

The water pump gaskets are a common failure, and often won't leave any signs of leakage. They're a cheap easy fix too. I've heard of the heads cracking but don't have the specifics...there was a thread about it not too long ago. Search this section and maybe the GM General section and you should find it.

 

awesome...thats what my buddy had said about the wp gasket. how hard is the fix for that? never really messed with to much motor stuff.

 

Replacing the water pump is a piece of cake IMO, hardest part is getting the fan clutch off. If you search this section you'll find pics and methods of removing the fan clutch nut...

 

+100 water pump gasket. The water pumps will last for ever but the gaskets wont!

 

well gonna be trying to change the gasket my self this weekend. after talking to my buddy said you could remove fan shroud, belt and get to the 6 bolts on the water pump. said the most agravating part was getting the gasket to line up. does this sound correct to yall?

 

Yes. And the fact that I don't have a drain ****, so you have to pull the lower coolant hose on mine.