I'm curious whether anyone in the group has ever changed a water pump on a
3.0L Ranger and if it is all that difficult of a job.  I just got home from
work and when I got out of the truck, I could smell coolant quite strong.  I
got down and looked underneath and could see something trickling down the
front side of the engine and onto the oil pan, then onto the ground.  It was
fairly dark, so I went inside and grabbed a flashlight, checked it again and
lo and behold it was antifreeze, running from I believe the seep hole on the
waterpump (its too dark to really tell, it may have been coming from around
the gasket, but I doubt it).  With close to 240,000 kms on the engine, and
not knowing whether its been replaced before (doesn't look like it), it
doesn't really suprise me that the water pump is worn out.  Luckily, no
idiot lights came on while I was on the highway, so it looks like it may
have started leaking in the last 10-12 kms on the way home.  I'll have to
check the coolant level after it cools down.

Really all I want to know is how hard of a job it is to change it.  All the
bolts to remove it looked pretty easy to get at with a socket, and there
doesn't seem to be much in the way to remove besides the fan.  Mind you, I
could only see what the flashlight lit up and this is another reason I
wanted to ask before I jumped into it.  I plan on replacing it myself
probably this weekend, or if it isn't that big of a job, an evening this
week in my fathers garage.

Thanks in advance for advice, tips, etc.  BTW, I am not interested in
putting any kind of stop leak product or anything else in my coolant system,
so please don't suggest it.

Sharky