u/Loud_Gas4928

No signs saying out of order or do not use

What do you make of this? That small pill shape under the um... "shaft"... is that the toyota version of a bung? Meaning that for example in FWD cars, there's typically a bung, aka metal "plug" that shoots out from the water pump when the engine overheats to relieve the pressure. Or if it's just part of the pump to cycle coolant into the crankcase, why aren't the gaskets designed to go over this area? This seems to be a common area where the dried coolant builds up in these trucks. Are we sure a small ring of toyotabond around this oval isn't recommended? Could I just be overthinking and that the leak was just simply the metal gasket failing in this particular area? See the 2nd photo where the fresh stuff is still bleeding. Lastly, what's the best stuff to remove it all before putting the new pump and gasket on?

Top is glossy with no cracks (yet), grooves probably shouldn't be showing fibers, but i noticed some pink crusties near the water pump so there's no turning back now! Got all the parts and halfway into teardown, also replacing fan clutch because the AC blows warm at idle. Northern CA vehicle now in AZ, the only frame rust is very minimal near the lower control arms presumably from rock chips. Lucky! Still might have another 30k in her but the peace of mind is priceless.

The sku changed but now there's an additional 3lbs. Is it a faster/better charger?

Unsure of year, google says it's Blue Crush but the way the light hits it, I'm not sure.