EHarris

I'm replacing my water pump this weekend and in the How To section they have some good directions along with some good YouTube videos I have come across.

Step 5 – Replace the new gasket

Put some RTV sealant on the mounting area of the engine block. If you do use RTV, you will need to let the curing time pass, which is normally about an hour, before you start your Jeep back up. Make sure that the gasket lines up perfectly with the bolt holes. You can mount the gasket to the pump itself or to the engine block, whichever is easier for you.


So my question is, do I use RTV or skip it. I have the Mopar Water Pump and Mopar Gasket. Thanks in advance.

Mr.T

For water pumps, thermostat housings, and similar I like Permatex #3 aviation gasket sealer. The OEM water pump gasket has an impregnated sealer on the pump side of the gasket, so I'll just add a very thin coat of #3 to the other side. Never-seeze on the threads.

Silicone works too, but it takes ~24 hours before adding coolant. Just read the directions on the package and make sure it's recommended for anti-freeze.

karls10jk

I'm not doing this project yet but thank you for posting the topic and Mr. T for answering

EHarris

yup thanks this is good info for sure. Before I pull the water pump I wanted to see if its still good. I'm replacing because I am doing a big trip this summer and the water pump has about 100k on it right now. So once the belt comes off I can just try to spin it with my hand and feel for what exactly?

Mr.T

Roughness in the bearings when spun by hand and feel for any play, then look for signs of coolant leaking.

Because the fan is electric and the serpentine belt runs smoothly, the pump bearings (and thus the seal) have an easy life; especially compared with the old V-belts and attached mechanical fan. I replaced mine at a bit over 100K only because the gasket had an intermittent coolant weep and couldn't see putting an old pump back in -- but the pump was in excellent condition.