Cover+water pump question

Not sure if it's dumb luck or what, but I never put any kind of sealant on those bolt threads and I've never had a leak. Exhaust studs yes. But not the water pump bolts!
With the factory bolts, lots of times, perhaps most of the time, they don't leak; the captive washers seal pretty good. Except the one at the P/S bracket which has a kindof oval stamped hole. But you also cannot see if the glycol is plugging up the tubes, and/or corroding the shanks..