i acquired a new waterpump for my 89 vert but the gasket was broken... everywhere i went to find a gasket doesnt sell without the pump. now i know rotary engines run a little hotter than normal piston engines but will this gasket making silicone work as a reliable replacement?

 

I've used waterpump/thermostat specific silicone in the past in a pinch with no problems. By the way, while combustion temps in a rotary can be higher than piston engines, the water temps in a Rotary are generally the same. Most engines run between 185-210 degrees.

 

With the stock 180° thermostat, the rotary cooling system runs no hotter than any other engine with a 180° thermostat.
For just a few bucks you can buy a sheet of gasket material and make your own WP gasket.

 

+1

 

but i have no idea how to make my own gasket.... unless its like cutting out paper snowflakes

 

mazdatrix has them

 

+1
I usually use RTV and a gasket, I haven't had any problems doing it that way, and I've replaced mine about 5 times (3 of them were napa remans, I learned my lesson, now I get them rebuilt with quality parts).

 

It's a skill worth learning.
There are a couple of ways to do it, here's mine...
Clean the flange of the part to be gasketed (in this case, the waterpump).
Cover the part/flange with masking tape and trace the flange and holes with a pencil.
Remove tape and apply to gasket sheet.
First, you want to take care of the holes, I use a wood spade bit and drill them on the drill press. The spade (or brad point) bit will make a very clean hole in the paper.
Then use an Exacto or single edge razor blade to cut out the inside/outside edges of the gasket.
Remove tape template.

The whole process takes about 15 minutes.

When installing, lightly smear grease (wheel bearing works fine) on both sides of the gasket.
This is not for sealing (the "crush" of the paper handles that) but does help keep the paper from sticking, and possibly tearing, when removed later.

 

It is exactly like that.

Buy the sheet of gasket material.

Trace the outline of the water pump and mark the bolt/stud holes

Cut it out.

Trim the holes with an xacto knife.

Mount the gasket on the back of the pump body with the studs/bolts.

Use the exacto knife to cut out to match water passages of the gaskets.

Smear a very thin coat of RTV Blue on both surfaces of your gasket.

Apply the gasket and mount the waterpump.

Torque to the proper specs.

Done

Or do what clokker sez

 

thanks guys!!.. f**kin love this site!!!

 

One note... try and use the same thickness of gasket material as the original. There are shims on two of the waterpump studs, to keep the pump from torquing, due to the gasket, when all nuts are tighted. If your gasket is thicker, you would need to add more shims.

 

I use a slightly different method that requires less precision myself. I just lay the gasket paper over the part, and tap around the edges with a small ball peen hammer. It perforates the paper and allows me to tear the gasket out no problem. And I just poke out the mounting holes with an x-acto after that.

The above methods probably look cleaner though, if done right.

 

rub a thin layer of vaseline on the waterpump where the gasket would go. Press it down on your gasket material. Cut out your new shape with a razor.

or

Just use a sealer. It works fine.

 

Those aren't shims, they're spacers and the gasket thickness has no effect whatsoever on them.

 

ok.. now the question is... wur wud i get this gasket making material?... from a regular auto store?

 

Autozone Orielly's, Napa etc

 

*****.
I make my own.
Grow hemp>harvest fiber>soak and treat fiber>press into sheets>dry.

Clearly, this requires a bit of lead time, so plan your maintenance schedule accordingly.

 

Clokker, which strain are you using? I can't get mine to hold up to more than 200 degrees....

 

Sour Diesel.

 

Hmmm... I always thought they were there, so the whole waterpump would stay flat to the front cover. What are they for?

Thanks,
Greg

 

The spacers are between the waterpump housing and the front cover.
Since the housing does not sit flat on the front cover the spacers are necessary to keep it from cracking.
The waterpump- and the gasket in question- fit in the housing (which is already flat and stabilized), so the gasket- of whatever thickness- has no effect on the spacers or the housing itself.

 

i dnt thnk ima be makin much of anything if i get the sour in my hands....

 

Maybe not but you'd enjoy the process.

 

I would imagine that using that method and planning so far ahead would tend to make one forget about the... the... uhh, what were we talking about?