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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

Water Pump Gasket To Rtv Or Not?

  • Thread starter Thread starter 90lxwhite
  • Start date Start date Nov 5, 2013
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90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man
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#1
  • Nov 5, 2013
  • #1
Pump leaks on the 90 just as fast as you can put it in so I'm getting a new one. I've read to and not to use sealant on gaskets, what do y'all say? Also think I should soak the bolts in oil before reinstall?
 

95Vert383AOD

15 Year Member
Jun 10, 2008
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New Bedford, MA
Nov 5, 2013
#2
  • Nov 5, 2013
  • #2
Personally.... I use a thin layer of RTV around the water ports both sides of the gasket and some anti seize on the bolts. No leaks there ever. Overkill? Sure...... But what happens if you underkill a bear?
 

90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man
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#3
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I'm still shopping pumps, and was looking at the ford racing pump from American n late mod, but I just read that they're made in china like everything else in the "free world." I'm wondering if I should just go with the Murrary pump that oriley's carries. Both are new but the Murrary is 34.99 vs the frpp 44.99? One more thing: U.S.A U.S.A ha man we make nothing. Edit: what about motorcraft pumps? Are they still good or am I buying the name? They are like $60 more
 
Last edited: Nov 5, 2013

90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man
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#4
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Update- motorcraft are sell outs like the rest. So I suppose I'm going w the cheaper of the "Chinese junk" http://m.oreillyauto.com/mt/www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/MTC0/CP4038/01398.oap?year=1990&make=Ford&model=Mustang&vi=1134009&ck=Search_water pump_1134009_3996&keyword=water pump



 
Last edited: Nov 5, 2013

Shakerhood

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#5
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I used an Edelbrock pump last time and I always use a little RTV on the gaskets.
 

90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man
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#6
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Shakerhood said:
I used an Edelbrock pump last time and I always use a little RTV on the gaskets.
Click to expand...
Thank you sir, rtv it is. The black rtv correct? What if I use felpro, no rtv?
 

95Vert383AOD

15 Year Member
Jun 10, 2008
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Nov 5, 2013
#7
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Yeah that sucks... Get a FelPro gasket. Usually the ones included are paper thin and become brittle. What about NAPA pumps?
 

95Vert383AOD

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#8
  • Nov 5, 2013
  • #8
90lxwhite said:
Thank you sir, rtv it is. The black rtv correct? What if I use felpro, no rtv?
Click to expand...

Its extra insurance. Noone wants to remove a pump just to change a gasket. Leaks in that area can also be hard to detect sometimes.
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
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#9
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Summit sells a generic high flow pump by a company called Brass Works or something. Lifetime guarantee, made in America and it's about $50 cheaper than the Edelbrock. I don't use rtv on the water pump gasket just because it's messy and looks bad. I use a tack called "Form a gasket" by Permatex. Comes in a little can at the parts store. You brush it on.

Kurt
 

90lxwhite

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#10
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revhead347 said:
Summit sells a generic high flow pump by a company called Brass Works or something. Lifetime guarantee, made in America and it's about $50 cheaper than the Edelbrock. I don't use rtv on the water pump gasket just because it's messy and looks bad. I use a tack called "Form a gasket" by Permatex. Comes in a little can at the parts store. You brush it on.

Kurt
Click to expand...
Would a high flow work well with stock motor and radiator?
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
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#11
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Yeah, it will work fine. It just has a more efficient impellar that doesn't cavitate so that it has greater flow at low rpm. Flow at high rpm is about the same as stock. It's basically a standard impellar with a plate on the back of it. This is the one. It is made in California. They changed the name a few years ago to Flowkooler to be cool, but if you look at the number, it's BRA for Brassworks. It says it has a 2 year warranty now. I've had the same one on my car for 10 years now, not that that's the best example, because at most I have 100,000 miles on it.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/bra-1660/overview/make/ford

Kurt
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
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#12
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For anyone looking for one for an SN 302, it's this one.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/bra-1661/overview/

For some reason you can't look it up under the application guide for an SN Mustang, but they actually do have one.

Kurt
 

90lxwhite

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#13
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Thanks man
 

FordRacing302

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#14
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  • #14
Dry gasket here and never had any leaks.
 

RangerJoe

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#15
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  • #15
I've always used an Autozone replacement, with lifetime warranty. I also use rtv on my gaskets. For some reason I have always found myself removing the water pump every year or so for various reasons. I have always carried it back and swapped it out under warranty. Probably haven't had one particular pump on the car for more than a year.

Joe
 

f8tlfiveo

My wife likes my spool and blow-off valve.
Aug 8, 2007
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Nov 6, 2013
#16
  • Nov 6, 2013
  • #16
Advance auto special for me, black rtv. I always take off the back plate and rtv the back side and bolt it back on.
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
Jun 14, 2004
9,302
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#17
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You guys have gone RTV crazy. The only place I have RTV on my whole engine is in the 4 corners of the intake valley.

Kurt
 

srtthis

the guy doing it does every local racers rear end
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#18
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i use Rightstuff on the water ports on the water pump.
 

90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man
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#19
  • Nov 6, 2013
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Kurt has the magic touch. No rtv necessary
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
Jun 14, 2004
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#20
  • Nov 6, 2013
  • #20
If you guys ever get interested in all this sealant and loctite, rtv and antiseize and where to put it all, buy any of the Ford Engine Overahaul manuals (i.e. Haynes). It tells you exactly what to put where. If you follow the instructions developed by the Ford Engineers, then I bet you will almost never have a leak again. If you get an aftermarket gasket that isn't exactly like the oe gasket, then follow the instructions that came with the gasket. I stopped having engine leaking problems when I started reading the Ford Overhaul manual. I used to be RTV crazy too. Then I read in the overhaul manual that you should use a gasket tack on almost all the paper gaskets, not an RTV sealant. It made a dramatic difference in the number of leaks I would get. I used to slather RTV on my valve cover gaskets and still get leaks. Then I read in the manual that the gaskets should be installed dry, and guess what, I haven't had a valve cover leak since.

Kurt
 
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