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According to Volvo TSB 265880201 it is indeed normal for B23x water pumps to lose/weep a certain amount of coolant. I even recall seeing the spec somewhere recently on the maximum number of drips after shutdown that are permissable/normal. The number was certainly more than I thought should be normal so your leakage may indeed be "normal". On my '89 B234F I don't recall the pump box/cover/pan that you describe.
You should take heart though. A new water pump bearing will bed-in with use plus the coolant self-sealing additives will often significantly reduce or even eliminate leaks. A few things I have done in the past that seem to have prolonged the life of my water pumps are: a) Don't overtighten the belt, keep it just tight enough to avoid slippage on a cool/damp morning. The shops tend to go on the tight side. I presume that's to totally avoid you coming back with a complaint of slippage and screeching, plus you'll be coming back a year earlier for a new pump. For a new belt, recheck the tension after a break-in period. b) A certain amount of deposit build-up at the water pump bearing will actually help keep the bearing sealed. When having your regular flush done, unless the rest of your cooling system is in really bad shape, avoid using coolant system flushing agents and avoid extended rinsing with the engine running before re-filling. c) For maximum protection from the coolant's lubricating and self-sealing additives always top up with a 50/50 pre-mix, but when re-filling after flushing put in pure coolant first (measure out the correct amount using the system capacity spec) then top up with water. All Volvo owner manuals are now on-line at the Volvo North America site so you can look up the spec for your year and engine.
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Dave -not to be confused with a real expert
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