On the way home, another thing not in the plan came into play. I occasionally got a "LOW COOLANT" indication on the DIC. I didn't pay much mind to it - the temperature stayed normal. I just cleared the display and motored on. I stopped at Gary's house for a social visit, parking in front of his garage door. I shut the engine off, and just as I got out, steam erupted around the sides of the hood. I popped the hood, and there was antifreeze everywhere! Mind you, here I was 282 miles into this Sunday cruise, and this happens at a buddy's house, and I'm sitting probably not more than 6 feet from his 4-post lift. It can't get much better than that!

 

We determined that the water pump seal had gone south. Looking it up in his service manual, it appeared to be a relatively simple job: 6 bolts and a few hose clamps. All accessible from above. This I could do at home. So, we topped off the water (leaving the cap loose to prevent any pressure in the system), filled a couple jugs to take along, and I drove the remaining 40 miles home without having to add any more water. There I got out the hose and rinsed off the engine, underneath and the exterior to get rid of the antifreeze, and parked it in the garage.