Pontiac: Intermittant coolant leak

I have a 96 Grand and GT with the 2.4L engine. Lately I have had an
intermittent coolant leak which happens 1 or 2 times a week while the car is
parked. The size of the leak started out to be about basketball size in
diameter but lately has gotten bigger. I am having to add fluid to the
reservoir about every 2 weeks. My mechanic put the car on a lift and shined
a flashlight on the bottom of the water pump said I was having "weepage" as
evidenced by some brownish residue on a valve at the bottom of the water
pump and said I would need a new water pump and quoted a price around $460.
I have lived with this leak for approximately the last 13,000 miles and need
to get it fixed. I can find some references about "weepage" online and all
point to the water pump but they also say that when a water pimp starts
weeping in also flushes out the lubricant on the bearings/shaft. Is it
reasonable to assume from the above description that I do need a new water
pump and if so is the quoted price fair?

Thanks in advance, Jim

Boy your very lucky driving the last 13,000 miles on a weeping water
pump. The seal is leaking causing the antifreeze to come out the weep
hole. If a chunk of the seal breaks out then the 14 quarts of antifreeze
will just gush out.

Get a new water pump.

Good Luck.

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Harryface
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1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE, 3800 V6
_~_~_~_~274,329 miles_~_~_ ~_~_