I'm puzzled. When I had my trans filter changed yesterday the mechanic told me I lost a ton of coolant, and without digging into it and racking up more labor he could only tell it was coming from the bback of the engine. I just topped off the radiator and immediately heard it burping, so I looked for the leak. There is a solid drip, maybe four seconds between drops, coming from the trans. Now, my space is limited so I can't crawl up in there and find the exact spot, but it literally looks like it's coming from the trans!

What runs coolant near there that would be leaking?

I appreciate your help! I'm also still trying to find that damn OD relay.

There is a water pipe that connects to the back side of the water pump and runs through the center of the engine. It can start leaking and run out back of engine. Either way you have to find it. Has the timing belt and water pump been checked/ changed? OR. There are coolant lines running into your firewall for heater core.

Ok I'll have to try and dig up a picture of the water pump and line. We don't have a computer and my phone refuses to open to service manuals for some reason. From what I can see the two heater core lines are not leaking.

I should add that the engine hadn't run for a good two hours and it was a constant drip.

You have to have a .pdf reader to open the manuals.

The most likely place is the oring at the back of the water pump on the steel pipe to the rear of the engine. It runs under the lower intake and branches into a couple of water lines, heater and throttle body lines. Good time to do water pump and timing belt, too....

Ok I found these two pages, which of these is the pipe you're explaining? And is it the pipe itself that typically fails or an o ring, or clamp? Thanks!

Due to my limited space I'll have to take it to a shop. How labor intensive is it?

Looks like we posted at the same time, fasteddie. Thanks for your response. I have arthritis on my mowest three vertebrae and two fused vertebrae so I'm limited to the amount of "movement" in the engine bay, which is sadly why I'd have to take it to a shop. I'm curious how long it takes to do a water pump change, so I can be prepared for a shop quote.

That top picture with the small pipe is he Montero/Raider 89-94 3.0 SOHC 12 valve. The other is Caravan/ Lebaron/ Diamante/Hyundai/etc. uses the big fat pipe and bi fat o ring.
#5 O ring is what cracks and leak ,,as said, the coolant runs along the pipe and drips down the backside of engine. The water pump if bad will leak out a weep hole and scatters drops of coolant on front of engine and all around from fan blowing it.
The water pump runs off he timing belt. Whenever I do either job I replace belt and pump at same time. Tell your mechanic about the O ring cause alot of times the water pump will come with only the big Caravan appliction o ring, And I don't know where you get the small O ring if it doesn't come with the pump . It is possible to remove Plenum and intake for access to pipe and replace the O ring if your pinching pennys,,,But I would not advized doing that, just asking for trouble .I don't know where to get the small O ring .
I hear you on the back,,,I'm in this project but still barely able to do it (so far) with 1 herniated and another disc basicly groud down and gone. Loss of freedom, stinks.
I'm not sure of cost of labor and time,,,guessing $100 parts and 3 hours shop time. This engine is pretty simple by todays standards and cheaper on parts and fairly easy to work on. Don't let them you otherwize and rip you off.

Thanks KrzyGuy!

You may as well replace the heater hoses at the same time. If you use a 1/4" flex cable extension to tighten the hose clamps, it's not too bad a job - otherwise it's no fun.