installing new water pump

[LuckyWinner]

is there anything I need to know before installing my water pump? It came with paper type gasket, is that enough? would I put anything else on to seal? Not much of a motorhead...but I'm learning.

[skullandbones]

This is one of the areas I worried about the most after my reading of the threads about it on the forum. I remember using the blue permatex, I think. I coated both sides of the gasket (very thin coat). There are also a couple of bolt holes that may go into the water jacket. I put permatex on the threads of all the bolts. I had a friend who had an issue with a small leak. I believe it was due to one of the bolt holes leaking. I was just careful to line everything up and sure to get the right length bolts to match the varied holes in the pump. I changed to allen style black bolts for the engine so I spent lots of trips to the hardware store and lots of money on extra fasteners. If you are careful, you should be fine. Have fun, WEK.

[mikiec]

permatex makes a sealer for the water pump and therm housing gasket. I have used it, never a leak.

Mike

[Bob Cowan]

Installing the new pump is kind of a pain. Mostly because (it seems) that every bolt is a different length, and you have to know which bolt goes in which hole. Test fit every bolt before hand, so you know exactly where every bolt goes. It will save frustration later. Some bolts need teflon thread sealant, and some don't. So I just put it on all of them.

Also, there are a number of different configurations, all with different gaskets. Do a trial fit of the gaskets before applying goo.

And, read the instructions that come with the pump. I know, I know! Instructions! Those are for wimps! But some water pumps (like Edelbrock) require you to remove the backing plate and apply gasket sealer before final assembly.

[SCFFR]

My first installation was a failure but a learning lesson I guess. I had used black rtv and the black, thicker paper gasket. It dripped somewhere around the weep hole.

The second time around I used the Permatex anaerobic sealer and the thinner blue paper gasket. Worked like a charm.

It's can be a pain trying to get the pump with the sealer and gasket on the timing cover without the gasket moving. I took two 6" length of 5/16" threaded rod and screwed them in the timing cover on each side of the pump. I then slide the pump over the threaded rod which held it in place while I installed the bolts (with sealer). Once I got all of the bolts tightened, I removed the threaded rods and installed the last two bolts. Worked great.

Ron

[Avalanche325]

TWO GASKETS.

If you don't take the back plate off and seal that gasket, you will likely have a leak.

The longer bolts, except for the three shorties at the top and the two that hole the back plate on at the bottom, need sealer on them.

[JOE A]

I am removing a reverse rotation (serpentine) water pump and installing a standard rotation (v-belt) pump (small block 302, all Ford Racing parts). I noticed when removing the pump that the gasket between the back plate and the pump housing did not have any kind of sealer on it. Does this gasket require sealer? It does seem to be made of a more rubber type material, not like the paper gasket that had and will require sealer. Any comment will be appreciated.

[68GT500MAN]

I have always used silicone sealer on both gaskets, it may be overkill, but I do not want a leak later.
Doug