Gasket Sealant for Water Pump

[rabino]

Hello I am going to replace the water pump on my 2000 Grand Am SE1 Automatic Sedan.

I bought RED Hi Temp RTV however I noticed there is blue black and clear. Am I using the right stuff? :???:

I plan to flush the system, replace the water pump and thermostat and refill.

V6 motor makes replacing the $20 pump a snap. Thanks in advance!

[daman]

Why not use a gasket and do it right,,using that crap you could get
residue RTV in your cooling system..

[Frezz]

I'm with ^^^^! Don't do anything half ass or you will regret it when driving someday. When your water pump is leaking like Hoover dam and your wondering why? Since you just replaced it..


Frezz

[rixGAphx]

Why not use a gasket and do it right,,using that crap you could get
residue RTV in your cooling system..Agreed.
Use the specially-impregnated paper gasket that comes with the new WP.
Apply a light coating of Permatex No. 2 (non-hardening black stuff) as an adhesive to the surface of the WP housing to temporarily hold the gasket in place, then install the WP and its bolts.

Some applications on the V6 require RTV silicone as the sole gasket material (i.e., the ends of the valleys when doing a LIM gasket replacement).
And on other manufacturer's engines, RTV is used all over the place.
But generally, even manufacturers prefer some sort of preformed gasket, be it paper, cork, rubber, compressible metal, etc. to RTV form-in-place gaskets.
* * *

On a side note,
Silicone is NOT the end-all/be-all cure that its manufacturers (GE and Dow) would have people think it is.
Not for automotive use, nor for household/construction use.

Most people don't realize it, but the fumes from silicone sealants are deadly to O2 sensors.
Even using it on an intake gasket can kill an O2S; after the fumes are sucked through the combustion chamber, some might not be burned and then they contaminate the sensor in the exhaust stream.

Around the house, *most* silicone sealants aren't safe for food preparation (like the kitchen counter and sink), and if used to seal an aquarium, those fishies are gonna go belly-up :eek:
If you're doing a bathroom with marble tile, silicone will 'bleed' into the stone for years and totally ruin the upscale effect of the marble.

Don't get me started on silicone titties. :roll:

[/rant]
:D :D

[rabino]

OK guess I am more confused than I thought.

There is a paper gasket included with the new pump. I assumed this gasket needed rtv on both sides like a thermostat gasket would. If I am reading the replies here it is either rtv OR paper gasket?

Seems a paper gasket alone would not work. So why use the Permatex No. 2 over RTV?

[daman]

If you got a gasket with the W/P,,RTV is NOT needed...

rix is saying if you want(but not needed)you can use Permatex as an adhesive to hold it in place wile putting together so you don't drop it..

[rixGAphx]

There is a paper gasket included with the new pump.
Great, use it.
I assumed this gasket needed rtv on both sides like a thermostat gasket would.This is what I'm saying: NO paper gasket needs any other stuff.
Not a t-stat gasket, not a WP gasket.
Doesn't need silicone, doesn't need Permatex No. 2 (or No. 1).

But, for convenience, you CAN use Permatex No. 2 as an assembly aid, to hold the gasket in place.

You could also use silicone for this, BUT, if any silicone leaks past the flange and into the water passages, it will turn to rubber. It may then break-off, either as a little pieces or as a large chunk, and float around the system until it clogs something.
This 'chunking' never happens to the Permatex.
If I am reading the replies here, it is either rtv OR paper gasket?We're saying:
NEVER mix the two.
If a paper gasket is provided, use it; period.

If no paper (or other) gasket is provided, then the manufacturer MIGHT have intended RTV to be applied.
Sometimes, you must buy the gasket separately.
Seems a paper gasket alone would not work.That's what's confusing you, young grasshopper. :D :D

It has been working just fine for all water-related automotive applications since the Model T.
Not just for american cars, but german, japanese, italian; hell, even the french use it.

Paper seals the joint perfectly, swells just a tiny bit and never degrades (well, mebbe over 10 years, but the entire engine is gonna need a complete rebuild by then).

A GREAT emergency gasket can be fabricated by tracing the part's design onto a standard manila folder, and cutting the gasket with an X-acto knife.So why use the Permatex No. 2 over RTV?It is an old, proven product that is immediately sticky enough to hold the gasket in place.
And it can't contaminate the way that silicone can.

[rabino]

Wow thanks so very much ffor taking the time out to answer everything. I do apreciate your efforts.

My dad taught me to use the RTV with the gaskets the Haynes also mentioned it on my dodge thermostat. I'll try no rtv paper gasket only. if it does leak. It will be simple enough to go back in to fix. (slip belt off pully off mount bolts water pump is off)

Thanks again!!

[tenspeed]

I've used cereal boxes for gaskets....

The red RTV is for high temperatures - around 500*F
The black, white and clear do the same job at a lower temperature.

RTV has formaldehyde in it to prevent mildew. That's what kills the fish. They make Aquarium grade RTV for building and sealing fish tanks. They might make food grade RTV but I was a manufacturing equipment mechanic and never came across any.

They do make a blue RTV for gaskets but I don't know what makes it different from the black, white and clear. I have used a very thin layer of RTV on some gaskets to fill gaps on liquid systems.

What's really important is to get all the old gasket scraped off so the mating surfaces are flat.

[daman]

You won't have any problems using only the gasket,RTV is for situations where a gasket may not be available for use,always use a gasket when allowed...