Ford Ranger, water leak

My ranger has a bad leak underneath the radiator hose. It appears to be coming from the seal around the middle of the engine. I am a mom, not a mechanic, but my son and I would like to save this old truck. Is this a serious problem, gasket, or does it sound worse? Water gushes out as fast as i put it in and when the engine is running, the belt sprays the water up onto the inside of the hood. There appears to be no oil in it, just water. Also, we see no water leaking from the water pump itself. Any suggestions from you worldly and very brilliant guys?

My ranger has a bad leak underneath the radiator hose. It appears to be coming from the seal around the middle of the engine. I am a mom, not a mechanic, but my son and I would like to save this old truck. Is this a serious problem, gasket, or does it sound worse? Water gushes out as fast as i put it in and when the engine is running, the belt sprays the water up onto the inside of the hood. There appears to be no oil in it, just water. Also, we see no water leaking from the water pump itself. Any suggestions from you worldly and very brilliant guys?

It sounds like you could be leaking around the water pump. Been there, done that. If you are handy with a wrench, you might try fixing yourself. I opted to have someone do it. I don't think it was a terribly expensive repair. Just make sure they are using good replacement parts.