With a flashlight you can look upward and see if the water pump is leaking
at it's little hole, that's on the bottome side of it.
Other than that, you can check the small hoses and the perimeter of the head
gasket.  If you have to, take the cover off it.
And if you are in the Seattle area, I can help you with it.
Zoltan

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian Stewart" <stewart.ian@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2012 7:11 PM
Subject: Severe coolant leak

> Hello, I have a 1987 2.1L 4-speed, and last night, I experienced a sudden
> and severe discharge of coolant from the left side of the vehicle. When I
> parked it after a two-mile crosstown jaunt, steam was coming out of the
> driver side air intake, and a big puddle of liquid was on the ground. I
> managed to get it back home without overheating, and left it until the
> morning. This morning, there was no coolant on the ground underneath the
> vehicle, but a much smaller (about 1/2 inch diameter) drip began to occur
> once I refilled the coolant bottle. I looked inside the engine
> compartment,
> and my current hypothesis is that it's one of the gaskets or hoses on the
> water pump. That seems to me to be the only component on that side of the
> engine capable of generating such a gusher. Also, nothing directly beneath
> the coolant refill bottle, recovery bottle, or any of their hoses is wet.
> However, I'm still getting a significant amount of coolant dispersed all
> over the back of the van in droplets when I drive it. The overheat light
> doesn't trip; but the temperature gauge is registering slightly higher
> when
> the engine is warmed up, 3/4 of the way up instead of the usual 2/3. Water
> pump was replaced almost 4 years ago when I had one of the heads replaced.
> In any event, I am going to be putting the van up on a mechanic's rack
> Monday morning and trying to pinpoint the problem. I would appreciate
> suggestions for things to look for, and things I should probably go ahead
> and replace. Potentially water pump, hoses and clamps, thermostat,
> temperature sensor...?
>