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My 1995 Bronco 5.8L is dripping anti-freeze. The highest place which is wet, is on the engine just behind the water pump on the driver's side. I can't see it spraying or steaming. But the engine is wet just behind that flange. My guess is that the top of the water pump on the backside is leaking at the paper gasket.
I assume that the water pump's paper gasket connection to the engine is failing. Since I bought the vehicle in 2005, I assume that it is the original water pump.
I will tighten up the bolts somewhat and drive it and wait for parts.
I am ordering this pump:
I am not sure that I should use RTV on a paper gasket, so I am going to use this:
I am aware that bolts can be seized, so I will probably use a propane torch on the bolt heads if necessary.
Any other corrections/suggestions?
Thanks,
Tim
Except for the use of RTV, this is one of the best videos on the subject:
To keep the bolts in order I draw gasket outline and mark holes on carboard, punch the holes with a screwdriver and insert the bolts as I take them out. Works for me.
@5851a and others: Thanks, I will be sure to use the gasket to make the card board template to place the bolts into as I remove them.
What are your thoughts about prepping the paper gasket? Some people say to put Permatex High Tack on the gasket on the water pump side only and don't dress the gasket on the engine side because it will make removal cleaner.
I don't want to remove this ever. If I get 25 years out of it I will be happy. So, dressing both sides with the Permatex Indian Head gasket shellac sounded good to me. But I have never used that product before. I think I did try to use rtv on a paper gasket once, and it just looked wrong to me. I used rtv as the gasket recently when I changed the rear differential fluid. I have no problem with that, but using rtv on a paper gasket just seems wrong.
I like the Permatex High Tack also and just on pump side. JMO but rtv is to slippery and lets a gasket squish out. Used to use the Indian head sealant on a few things. Good luck with the replacement.
Once I took the water pump off, I realized that it had been replaced before because there were two different colors of gasket sealer and the person who did it before did not completely clean the engine side. It took alternating Carb Cleaner and PB Blaster and Butane lighter fluid a razor blade and lastly a small brass brush to get it perfectly clean.
I followed the directions on the Indian Head Gasket Shellac and put it on both sides of the gasket as directed and then put the gasket on the water pump and installed it torquing to specs in the manual.
What are your thoughts about prepping the paper gasket? Some people say to put Permatex High Tack on the gasket on the water pump side only and don't dress the gasket on the engine side because it will make removal cleaner.
I don't want to remove this ever. If I get 25 years out of it I will be happy. So, dressing both sides with the Permatex Indian Head gasket shellac sounded good to me. But I have never used that product before. I think I did try to use rtv on a paper gasket once, and it just looked wrong to me. I used rtv as the gasket recently when I changed the rear differential fluid. I have no problem with that, but using rtv on a paper gasket just seems wrong.
I have used High Tack on paper gaskets with pretty good success. I wouldn’t use RTV as a sealant in addition to the gasket but only a couple dabs just to hold the gasket in place.
You want to get 25 years of use out of the water pump? Not the way things are made anymore. Good luck with that.
I would suggest taking the radiator out and having it flushed and boiled out at a radiator shop, My radiator had a significant amount of leak stop that was restricting flow, it runs much better now, the water pump was half filled with leak stop which was creating the cooling issue.
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Not the way things are made anymore. Good luck with that.
