okay about a month ago I installed a new water pump. I used the gasket it came with(flimsy cardboard). a week after that it sprang a leak on the top of where the back gasket meets the engine. mabye i didnt tighten it down. no biggie so I take it off USE the goopy red gasket sealant as well as the old gasket. Tighten it down, and drove off. Today im driving home and my temp goes way up, i hear that horrible hissing sound pull over, look under the hood and sure enough. It sprang a leak in the same place! what do you guys recommend I use to control this geyser? has this happen to anyone else?

 

i had the same prob, i removed everything, scrape the old gasket off, sand to make smooth, then use black RVT with NEW OEM mazda gaskets and you will be all goood

 

RVT? is that the name of the type of sealant it is or the name of the comapny that makes it? also do you think it would be possible to get away without using an OEM gasket? thanks for the help.

 

make sure you clean off ALL residue of old gasket material and goop/rtv. If you use sand paper, make absolute certain you dont round off the mating flanges. Sand just light enough to remove gunk. Your better off using a strong cleaner then using elbow grease. Use a new seal, putting a THIN coat of sealant on the SEAL is a good idea. Make absolute certain you replace the shime washers on the studs off to the left of the actual pump portion that the gasket doesn't mate too. These shims are very important, as they make up the space were there is no gasket. if you leave these out you'll warp the pump when you tighten it down and it will always leak unless you machine it flat again.

~Mike............

 

i've redone my waterpump gaskets twice now and just used gasket paper and some kind of high temp sillicone...it works for me! altho the front gasket takes a while to get juuuuust right

 

shims? you know i didnt pay attention to those the first time around. so those little metal washers around the top of the bolts are location specific? crap! well it off now and im sanding away. looks new again. cant i get away without the OEM gasket and just use the RTV red stuff i have?

 

well, u can use the RVT red stuff, but u may be redoing it many times, the gasket is only like 3 bux at mazda just get it

 

Red RTV will work well, because it will handle the heat a little better than black or grey will (although both will work also)...

After you fix your shim dilemma, before you RTV the new gasket and put it in place, use a good solvent to wipe the metal mating surfaces (I use acetone, of course, lol)...

The lubricant in the coolant will not allow RTV to stick where you want it, so you have to make damn sure you remove it all with a solvent...

 

Make sure you let the RTV cure.

I think the full cure time on some RTV is 24 hours.

James