Water pump sealant or no sealant?

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TF360

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Installing a water pump on my slant tomorrow and I have always used a gasket and sealant on both sides. The new gasket looks like it's high quality. Should I put sealant or no?
 
If there's pit in the iron, definitely. I usually do a really thin coating - so it doesn't squeeze out to the inside.
 
I drag this type gasket between 2 fingers loaded with RTV just enough to saturate the material.
I'm going to speak of different animal. If you pull the water pump off a 2011 RAV4 you would find a fancy stamped steel gasket. I don't know how the factory installs them and never have a leak. It wasn't stuck at all, fell right off. New and perfectly machined mating surfaces must be a factor.
Most of the aftermarket replacements at rockauto don't include a gasket. RTV required. If you buy the OEM Asain pump with that fancy metal gasket, you damn sure better put some sealant on it. It wont seal for us like it did for them. I learned this the hard way. Worst part is, I called a guy to ask, and he said, "I always put a little sealant on them just for insurance". My fault was being hardheaded.
 
Yea, It has the metal gasket sandwiched between two regular gaskets. I cant even put sealer on the inside one- no access to it, but I can coat the outside gasket that goes against the housing.
 
How does the water pump surface look? Smooth, pitted?
 
Yes, 2 gaskets. I used Permatex gasket sealant, which is purple gummy goo which stays soft (butyl rubber). You paint it on w/ the brush in cap. I also coat bolt threads which aren't into blind holes. Clean-up with ethanol. Main advantage for me is that I won't have to scrape off old gasket later.
 
Use Hylomar.

Seals, and you can peel off the gasket later.............
 
Sorry to jump on somebody's else's post, but I have a question about this. I recently installed a new water pump on my slant. I coated the outside paper gasket on both sides with sealant. However, I had to leave the inside gasket that came sandwiched between the metal plate dry because I could not access it. Just as I was afraid of, it is now leaking. Where did I go wrong? I was really careful about cleaning off the block. Is there a way to apply sealant to the inside gasket that I somehow missed? I assume that is the gasket that it is leaking from. Thanks for any insight....
 
Wow zigman. You know my original pump did not have a metal plate sandwiched with two gaskets. I don't like the design. I did not start mine yet. I hope I don't have the same problem you have. Did you torque the bolts and put sealant on the bolt that goes into the water jacket?
 
I used Permatex gasket sealant. I just can't help to think it must be leaking from that inside gasket that is not accessible and was installed dry?
 
Forgot to mention yes I did torque the bolts property and also coated the ones that go into the water jacket. However, perhaps I did not coat those bolts enough and maybe that it where it is leaking from? Mine is a A/C car so it is kind of hard to see with everything in the way
 
I accessed the inside gasket just fine.........

It's like one of those old take apart the bent-nails puzzles...........
 
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