Sealant on water pump bolts
January 26th, 2018, 02:38 PM
#2
Old(s) Fart
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 48,255
The 1/4" self-tapping bolts go into the sheet metal front cover and see oil, not coolant. It won't hurt to use sealant to prevent the remote chance of an oil leak, but frankly I've never done that in 40 years of working on these. Do be sure to use a torque wrench on these, however. If you overtorque the 1/4" bolts, you'll strip the threads in the front cover and then you'll really be hating life.
January 26th, 2018, 03:48 PM
#3
Thanks, Joe.
I had a leak at the bottom of the pump above the damper so I pulled the pump and resealed it. I later noticed water weeping past the driver side timing cover bolts near the oil pan. Figured I had coolant in my oil pan now. I am not sure how it got there but I think I broke the seal between the timing cover and the block when I pulled the pump the first time. The timing cover it in OK shape as far as pitting goes behind the water pump, so I don't think coolant was leaking through the timing cover. I think it was seeping between the cover and the block by the outlet/inlet and ran down into the oil pan. It appears someone was in there before doing the "front of the oil pan drop" trick to reseal/repair the timing cover, as the oil pan gasket has always leaked and there was silicone caked around the bottom timing cover seal.
Time to pull the engine and do it right.
Does anyone know if there is clearance with the timing chain to weld two small nuts onto the back of the timing cover for the two bottom water pump bolts?
thanks again,
Grady
I had a leak at the bottom of the pump above the damper so I pulled the pump and resealed it. I later noticed water weeping past the driver side timing cover bolts near the oil pan. Figured I had coolant in my oil pan now. I am not sure how it got there but I think I broke the seal between the timing cover and the block when I pulled the pump the first time. The timing cover it in OK shape as far as pitting goes behind the water pump, so I don't think coolant was leaking through the timing cover. I think it was seeping between the cover and the block by the outlet/inlet and ran down into the oil pan. It appears someone was in there before doing the "front of the oil pan drop" trick to reseal/repair the timing cover, as the oil pan gasket has always leaked and there was silicone caked around the bottom timing cover seal.
Time to pull the engine and do it right.
Does anyone know if there is clearance with the timing chain to weld two small nuts onto the back of the timing cover for the two bottom water pump bolts?
thanks again,
Grady
January 26th, 2018, 04:12 PM
#4
Old(s) Fart
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 48,255
Yes, there is, so long as you use thin nuts. The backside of the timing cover has formed bosses that the threads are cut into. Grind those flat and weld on thin 1/4-20 nuts and you should be fine. Keep in mind that the end of the screw sticks into the timing chain cavity even further than the threaded boss.
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