Water Pump Issue?

[syfir]

Any advice would be appreciated on this problem. I am not a trained mechanic but am not entirely inexperienced as I've done most of the repairs on my Neon and other vehicle. Anyway...

I was driving home on the highway and the car began to overheat. I pulled over, turned off engine, coolant was low. After letting it cool, I put in almost a gallon of water and got it home, engine remained at operating temp the rest of the way home. The next day I checked it again. Coolant was very low, I put some in and saw it leaking down the passenger side of the engine from behind the timing belt cover. I am guessing the water pump is leaking. Today I did a compression test to see if the head gasket survived the trip home. Cylinders 1,2, and 4 were at 180psi, 3 was lower around 160ish. I know I have an oil leak in this cylinder already. Over time oil will leak into this cylinder and eventually it will foul up the plug. My questions are these. Does anyone think I have head gasket problems? Is there any way to check for cyl head warpage? Am I correct in guessing leaking water pump for the coolant leak? If water pump, I would like to do the replacement myself, any tips on doing so? My car info is in my signature. Thank you.

[sohc98]

The only way i know to check a head for warping is to take it off and use a feeler gauge and a flat bar of some kind. And for replacing the water pump the best advice i can give you is get a repair manual if you already don't have one.

Good Luck with it.

[HoodooGuru]

I would do the head gasket at the same time as the water pump. All the timing stuff has to come off for the pump anyway so removing the head would be nothing.

[sohc98]

Might as well do the timing belt again as well since it will all be off anyway. The belt and tensioner shouldn't be more than $50. It will save you a lot of hassle having to take it all apart again in the future.

[dodgeneonACR98]

You will have to take the time belt cover off to see just exactly where the water is leaking from. Maybe you could crawl up underneath the car and pull the time cover away just enough to see if infact it is the pump leaking. Id try below the water pump gear first to see if it leaks there when water is added.
If it don't drip or pour out there first and it starts to leak at the bottom most point. It's probably not the water pump. Seems to me like the car is going to have to be torn apart any way you look at it. Just as well get crackin! You can't drive it like it is. If you got the car realy hot you may have warped the head. The only way to be sure is to have it tested by a shop. Feeler guages are ok but are not guranteed. The shop will preasure test it as well. You can't do that with a feeler guage.