2.7 coolant leak or non issue?

I'll start by saying I'm well aware of the faulty plastic bypass pipe that is notorious for leaking on the 2.7 and unfortunately I still have it on my truck but it does not appear to be leaking.

I noticed this a few days ago:

A very miniscule amount of coolant seems to have found its way on this cross member so I went in for further inspection:
Hopefully the picture is not too washed out but I found another small amount of dried coolant around the main crank pulley. There's a small bolt, top left of the pulley that looked like it had a little coolant dried on it too.

Not a huge amount. I'm wondering if this is just some fluke cause I have never seen coolant on the ground and my truck maybe goes through 5 oz of coolant a year at most and I usually just make sure it's topped off when the reservoir starts getting to the low side.

I did recently fill it to the full mark a few weeks ago so I'm wondering maybe the truck purged a little bit off and somehow it ended up at that location.

 

Im betting thats the weep hole on the water pump leaking. It looks like its coming from up above where the pump is. I would definitely address that sooner than later. Probably just time for a water pump

 

My guess would be that the coolant migrated from the water pump over to the crank pulley because it is right next to it. Clean it all off as best as you can and keep a close eye on it. Will probably need to change the water pump.

 

What's the purpose of the weep hole? I've been driving it alot for several days and haven't seen any more signs of leaking.

Are there any additional signs of a faulty water pump? What does a job like that usually cost at a shop, parts and labor? I suppose if I'm going through that trouble, I might as well shell out money to have the bypass pipe replaced too.

 

I believe the weep hole serves the purpose to let you know that coolant is getting past the seal and into the bearing for the water pump. Just an early warning sign that youre due for a water pump

 

Another sign would be if it is squealing or the engine is overheating, but you didn't mention any of those symtoms. I don't know how much a shop would charge you. You would have to call around. It's also possible that the leak is from the coolant bypass pipe. That is why I would clean it off and watch it, to give you a better idea of where it's coming from.

 

They are designed to allow a minuscule amount of coolant out. If you are not losing a noticeable amount of coolant leave it alone.

 

Without the weep hole, you might not know that the water pump is going out until it fails completely. It's a warning and it's a good thing. Your photos show a considerable amount of coolant loss -- more than a few drops -- so I suggest you start gathering stuff to change the water pump. This job is pretty easy and not expensive if you DIY. You might consider doing the pulleys & tensioner if they are not doing well either... maybe the fan clutch too.