Coolant leak on the back passenger side of engine

Hey guys I got another question!

I have had a slow coolant leak (Small puddle after a couple days) for probably 6 months now and I have finally gotten enough time to start trying to figure out what is causing it and fix it!

So here are a few details I have gathered so far.

It is leaking from the back side of the engine on the passenger side. I googled this problem and looked here and TTORA for some answers, what I have come up with so far is possibly my freeze plug is leaking? Other ideas are maybe the water bypass plate is leaking, or the hoses that run into my heater block.

I went outside once I got a break from the rain and started investigating the leak. I can see the freeze plug from under the truck and it is wet under the plug, but this could be from oil because my valve cover have been leaking as well. Also in all the pictures I have seen with a leaking freeze plug the spot underneath it has been very rusty and nasty looking and mine does not look that bad.

My other thought is maybe its the head gasket, the truck does have 240k miles on it so maybe its leaking now?? But I always thought if your head gasket was blowing or leaking that you would have coolant in your oil is this not always true?

Sorry for the long post but this fix is going to take quiet a bit of wrenching so I'd like to get a few answers from everybody who might know and get a game plan together before i attack this thing!

Thanks!

 

wipe down your engine in the places that you see leaks. if they re appear then investigate what fluid is leaking out. my guess is that its a old hose but id have to see for myself

 

Advance Auto has a good Engine Degreaser that you can use to help clean the engine, that will help clean in cracks and crevices you can't easily get too.

 

Good ideas!

I'll grab so degreaser tomorrow and see if I can get it cleaned off a little bit better and investigate further.