OK. So I am new to this forum. I just got rid of an 89 camaro and bought a 1997 Mazda Protege LX with the 1.5L DOHC. I have two issues. The first is a p0300 random cylinder misfire code. It started as a cylinder 1 misfire(p0301). Now it has become a random cylinder misfire. All that I have done so far is replaced the spark plugs. I stopped trying troubleshoot that due to finding a coolant leak from the left side of the engine as you are looking at it. I got underneath it and replaced a gasket that is in between the lower radiator hose and the water pump. NOT FUN! After replacing the gasket I put everything back together and started the engine. I refilled the radiator before hand of course. Either way, the gasket replacement did not fix it. I have noticed that the coolant continues leaking after the engine is turned off.Now that I think about it I do not remember seeing any noticable leaking while it is running. I just go and look in my garage the day afterward and the cardboard under the car is covered with antifreeze. My question pertains to my haynes manual. The only obvious step left to me is to replace the water pump.The procedure has me go in and remove the belts and then the timing covers(upper, middle, and lower). I can remove all the bolts of the covers however I cannot remove the lower cover. I am able to rotate the cover but it is right up against the oil dipstick shaft. My book says to remove the dipstick however the shaft is what the problem is. Can anybody give me any recomendations? By the way When I got underneath my car to locate the leak I did notice the the coolant was running down the lower bolt of the previous connection where the gasket is and some was also running down the crankshaft position sensor. Thanks in advance for your time and assistance.

 

I forgot to add it but the car is just short of 100,000 miles.

 

so yeah, the water pump on these cars are notorious for leaks. that cover you are talking about kinda of rotates upward from the bottom and kinda of rotates out of the way. trial & error prob. i've done prob 20-30 of these. you do not have to remove the dipstick. its prob stuck beyond reasoning neway.
the misfires could be wires. they tend to cause a black line ( called a carbon arc or trace) to form on the inside of the plug boot. usually kinda hard to see but very evident when u find it. it may even be on he plug too.
some 1.5l also had problems with valve seats beating the valve so hard it damaged the seat & valve & cause cylinder leakage problems causing misfires. if u change the plugs & wires & it still does it i would do a compression test or cylinder leakage test.