Chrysler Repair: Water Pump Repair, 1996 chrysler cirrus, chrysler cirrus

Question
I have a 1996 Chrysler Cirrus LX which I bought second hand last June/08.  It has over 184,000 kms on it. I noticed a puddle of fluid under the front of the car and have been told it is the water pump which has to be replaced along with timing chain which is part of the system.  I was quoted $805-$850.  Is there something I can use to seal the leak without this costly repair?  I am a senior citizen on a fixed income and have already within the first 3 months of purchasing the car replaced the radiator, lower front control arms and power steering hose.  Is it even worthwhile trying to scrape up the money to fix this "what seems to be a lemon".

Answer
Hi Carol-Ann,
I assume that you have the 2.5L V-6 engine. To change the water pump requires that you remove all the parts also necessary to change the timing belt, so both should be changed at the same time. You might try a cooling system additive made by Bar's Leak to see if you can reduce the loss of coolant for a while or possibly stop it. I also assume you are in Canada or Europe because you mention km. In the summertime if the cooling system is running operating well except for the leak, you could operate without antifreeze, instead using only water, which will also reduce the leak rate. So try adding Bar's Leak and adding only water when needed. See if that works. If not, then budget for doing the pump/belt job.
Roland