Water pump gasket

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my5thmopar

my5thmopar

Life Long MOPAR Owner
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Never replace a 383 pump...After replacing everything in the cooling system, I have to be towed home. I even replaced the heater core and radiator. The pump decides to fly apart and send the fan into the shroud. Ok rant done. Does the gasket go on dry and do the 4 front bolts get sealant? Thanks
 
no sealant needed on the bolts the timing chain cover ones need it to the block and I use spray gasket on the gasket.
 
my5thmopar said:
Never replace a 383 pump...After replacing everything in the cooling system, I have to be towed home. I even replaced the heater core and radiator. The pump decides to fly apart and send the fan into the shroud. Ok rant done. Does the gasket go on dry and do the 4 front bolts get sealant? Thanks
Click to expand...

Eh, that's not so bad.
I replaced the water pump, fan, shroud and radiator two weekends in a row from RPM's pulling the pump shaft right out of it's housing on my 69 Roadrunner 440.
The first time I thought it was just a fluke. (guess not):D

I use RTV between my thumb and fingers and basically just rub it into the gasket before it goes on. (there's not enough to squeeze out on assembly, but plenty for any possible small seeps.)
 
Man that sucks, I used a thin amount with gasket. Let gasket/rtv cure 24 hours before filling with coolant. Hope this fixes it for you.
 
4spdragtop said:
Man that sucks, I used a thin amount with gasket. Let gasket/rtv cure 24 hours before filling with coolant. Hope this fixes it for you.
Click to expand...

That's interesting that people say to wait 24 hrs, as I never do, and never had a problem.
On a water pump the gasket seals it anyway, and RTV is just for seepage insurance. (same with valve covers, pan gaskets, intakes and water necks)
The china wall is the only place I give it a little time because of crank case pressure possibly pushing it out before it cures a little, but even those I only give it an hour or two at the most.

Did you know some trans shops use only RTV on pans and fill them as soon as they are back on the ground.
1/4 bead, slap it on with all the bolts and fill it within 10-15 min.
 
I drag a water pump gasket between 2 fingers loaded with a bit of RTV. Just enough to change its color, make it sticky. And I'll put a little RTV in any bolt threads. All just for insurance. Even those dry hole bolts will need to come back out someday. Yes there are other chemicals, anti seize compound for example, more proper, work better, but.. the 1 tube of something, RTV, works for me in most cases. Better than nothing at all.
It's not that I don't have the anti seize, etc.., here. I'll go to the shelf and get it for exhaust manifolds and wheel studs. My way of doing things/"method to the madness", hasn't bit my old *** yet Good luck with it.
 
RedFish said:
I drag a water pump gasket between 2 fingers loaded with a bit of RTV. Just enough to change its color, make it sticky. And I'll put a little RTV in any bolt threads. All just for insurance. Even those dry hole bolts will need to come back out someday. Yes there are other chemicals, anti seize compound for example, more proper, work better, but.. the 1 tube of something, RTV, works for me in most cases. Better than nothing at all.
It's not that I don't have the anti seize, etc.., here. I'll go to the shelf and get it for exhaust manifolds and wheel studs. My way of doing things/"method to the madness", hasn't bit my old *** yet Good luck with it.
Click to expand...

Yep, pretty much exactly the same here and it has always worked fine.
I won't use anti seize on wheel studs though.
 
On every big block water pump housing I've seen, the four bolts holding the pump to the housing are "wet" (open to the coolant). Without sealant they will leak...
 
DrCharles said:
On every big block water pump housing I've seen, the four bolts holding the pump to the housing are "wet" (open to the coolant). Without sealant they will leak...
Click to expand...

Same with small blocks, but I wasn't going to start anything over it.:D
Sometimes experience is the best teacher.
 
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