I think I might have a small coolant leak?

[E55 Bulldog]

I think I might have a small coolant leak up near the water pump. I found a couple drips on my stabilzer shock and thought my shock was leaking but with further review found it was coming from above. It looked wet up near the pump.

Is there anything I can do to stop this without tearing into it to replace the issue... ?

[madpogue]

Don't try any stop-leak bottled mojo. They're generally only good at clogging up your heater core.

First thing to check is the thermostat flange/gasket. If it's your lucky day, that's the source, and a new gasket might get 'er done. Also, the flange on the gooseneck is thin and prone to bending / warping. There's available a "reinforcement" flange that goes behind the flange, along with longer bolts, that keeps the mating surface flat. I just don't remember who sells it, whether it's an org vendor or a vendor on one of the other forums. Bookmark link is on my computer at home.