Water pump bolt thread sealant

eburrows

Well-known member
I've removed, re-doped and replaced the two long bolts on the left-hand-side of my D2's water pump twice now. Both times using Permatex thread sealant. Both times, after a while, it starts leaking.

The leak isn't bad, but it's causing the bolt to start to corrode.

So! What thread sealant out there is the best?

Further: Who's stupid idea was it to use non-tapered threads into the pressurized coolant system?!

I'm thinking about using my "Perfect Seal" from Mercruiser...
 

LANDROVER LUKE

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2010
71
0
LOUISVILLE,KY
how old is the timing cover gasket??these are just a thin paper gasket and tend to crack and push outward near these bolts ..i would consider replacing the timing cover gasket water pump gasket --and i would use an anerobic sealant instead of rtv---this area needs a sealant that dries without air
 

LANDROVER LUKE

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2010
71
0
LOUISVILLE,KY
eburrows said:
The timer cover hasn't been removed/replaced for probably more than 130,000 miles. However, it isn't leaking oil, just coolant... Though I am a little fuzzy on how all those pieces line up in that area.

besides headgasket repairs on these trucks the next common repair i do is the timing cover gasket job--simply over torqueing the bolts for the cover will cause a leak--they have a very light torque spec
 

dcarr1971

Well-known member
Jun 16, 2010
610
0
Pittsburgh, PA USA
LANDROVER LUKE said:
besides headgasket repairs on these trucks the next common repair i do is the timing cover gasket job--simply over torqueing the bolts for the cover will cause a leak--they have a very light torque spec

How about when doing a water pump? Is there a notable risk that the timing cover gasket seal will be compromised when tightening the water pump bolts? It looks like 2 or 3 go straight through the timing cover from what remember seeing last night.
 

MUSKYMAN

Well-known member
Apr 19, 2004
8,277
0
OverBarrington IL
Ultra blue is the best for this for a number of reasons.

it is the best sealent for locations that are still contaminated with coolent or oil.

plus it also never fully hardens so it wont seal those bolts in and cause them to break when you try to remove them in the future.

permatex ultra blue...its the ticket!! :D
 

LANDROVER LUKE

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2010
71
0
LOUISVILLE,KY
dcarr1971 said:
How about when doing a water pump? Is there a notable risk that the timing cover gasket seal will be compromised when tightening the water pump bolts? It looks like 2 or 3 go straight through the timing cover from what remember seeing last night.

yes there is always that risk when disturbing these bolts but 95% of the time the gasket remains intact--i do still apply some kind of anerobic sealant(LR snot sealant) to the threads and torque to spec