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Waterpump housing leak?

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SCguy

SCguy

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I removed the bottom water pumphousing bolt, coolant came out of the bolt hole. I placed the bolt back in and tightened. Now, I have a leak at this bolt. I tried to tighten the bolt, but I don't want to strip it. Those of you who are familar with the waterpump housing, why won't it seal? Do I now have to remove the whole housing and reinstall it with a new gasket? Any thoughts?
 
How bad is it leaking? If it is just seeping past the bolt, try a partial drain of the system below the bolt level. Apply RTV or preferably teflon tape to the bolt threads and reinstall. If it is a heavy leak, remove, inspect and replace seal.
 
Hello Larry,
Me again.
I would suggest that you go ahead and remove the water pump housing and regasket/reseal it. It is not that big a deal, especially since you have a non-stock fuel line in that area.
Simply loosen the alternator, remove the belt and unbolt the three bolts holding the housing in place. The gaskets you will get from the Big Three vendors are all pretty cheesey thin paper gaskets. This would be fine on close-tolerance fitting metal but many water pump housings (and blocks) have seen a better day due to rust so the tolerances are not that close. I would suggest getting a new gasket and tracing the pattern on a slightly thicker material. Believe it or not, NAPA aften has basic gaskets that are superior to the vendors mentioned. Above all, when you seal the new gasket, use Permatex Aviation Sealer, the thick brown sticky liquid gasket sealer that seals oil and water very, very well. I personally would avoid using Teflon tape, but that is a matter of preference. You can put a fair amount of torque on the bolts when you replace them but remember that the threads are not that deep and you are limited on how much grip you will get. The whole process should take you about an hour, believe it or not. Good luck.

Bill
 
If we are discussing preferences, I would use Permatex Good Stuff or a similar product instead of the paper type gasket materials. This is a rubber based gasket maker in a can or tube that will far exceed the the sealing capabilities of the gasket. Less labor and it seals instantly. You can run the engine as soon as everything is fastened together. Will replace all paper gaskets except for the fuel pump. Black in color so it goes unnoticed on the engine.
Refer to a TR6 manual for torque specifications if you are concerned about over torqueing.
 
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