Water Pump Gasket - Dry or Sealant?

[AJ88CAB]

The OEM water pump gasket was installed dry, the factory manuals don't say anything about gasket sealant. I have done it both ways on cars without issues. The old gasket was a kind of plastic looking material. The new gasket that came with the new (Graf) water pump is more of the traditional stiff cardboard type.

What have you guys done...dry or sealant?

[mholme]

Sealant

[spyder101]

ONLY put the gasket on...nothing else.

[AJ88CAB]

Well, I WAS hoping for a little more agreement on this:)

Spyder, you sound rather determined...is there a reason to go dry? I'm not questioning, just looking to be educated.

Thanks
Andrew

[jblinga]

I've done 2 with just a touch of sealant. JHM also recommends using a small amount of sealant.

[dla79]

I've done 2 with just a touch of sealant. JHM also recommends using a small amount of sealant.

Yup if you want the JHM video with his kit he just puts a smudge on his fingers and rubs his fingers together. After he makes a thin film he rubs it around the gasket. When you install the water pump just make sure you follow the 10nm torque on those and do it in a fashion that distributes the pressure uniformly (like the star pattern you make when tightening wheel bolts). After that the black RTV sealant should cure over a short time and seal it up perfectly.

I have done 2 TB this way and no trouble!

[mholme]

From the manual when replacing the coolant pump:

"Remove residue of sealant on sealing surfaces of coolant pump and cylinder block"

When I replaced mine, it's last timing belt had been done at an Audi dealership and had sealant used. I did the same. Minimal amount.

[spyder101]

1).there is no sealant that comes with the H2o pump from the factory. 2). when a sealant is applied to the mating surface of the pump and you go to tighten the pump down, the sealant will spread into the cooling system and will get sent downstream. Ask me how I know this. 3). Cleaning up that shit will take forever if you have to replace the pump again.

[mholme]

^You must have used too much if that's the case. You don't need to use much at all. Why would Audi say to remove the remnants of sealant if they didn't use any?

[spyder101]

^You must have used too much if that's the case. You don't need to use much at all. Why would Audi say to remove the remnants of sealant if they didn't use any?

the old gasket material is what needs to be removed because, they used to use paper gaskets which stuck to the block when the pump was removed and sucked to get that shit off. Now they switched to metal gaskets.

[AJ88CAB]

I think I'll go with a thin coat of sealant. The old gasket is definitely OEM and doesn't really appear to have sealant, but there was some residue on the sealing surface that might have been a light adhesive or something. In any case, the new gasket is not the same material, so a little black RTV it is.

Thanks!

[dla79]

the old gasket material is what needs to be removed because, they used to use paper gaskets which stuck to the block when the pump was removed and sucked to get that shit off. Now they switched to metal gaskets.

To the OP do not listen to this guy. They Audi tech did this to one car here in town and JHM said to do this and I have personally done it twice.

If you wait for a good 10min or longer the BLACK RTV sealant will dry and turn into a SEAL of rubber essentially. It will not hurt your car if you spread a THIN FILM on the gasket and when I say thin it will be thin enough that you can't tell it is even on there. This is why you use glove and put in on super thin. I have done this on 2 B5S4s with 20k+ miles on the TB kit with no issues.

The only thing I can think as to why this would be said above is that there was too much sealant used.

[spyder101]

Do what you want but, I'am an Audi tech and have been for the last nine years. To each his own.

[mholme]

the old gasket material is what needs to be removed because, they used to use paper gaskets which stuck to the block when the pump was removed and sucked to get that shit off. Now they switched to metal gaskets.

That sort of makes sense, but they still used sealant on said gasket. I replaced mine with the same type, not the newer metal one. If I replace with a metal gasket next go round, I'm still going to put a film on it.

[davenew]

Do what you want but, I'am an Audi tech and have been for the last nine years. To each his own.

There might be a difference between oem and aftermarket gaskets..

[dla79]

I would never use a metal gasket on seal something up like a water pump. I would imagine that the metal expands and contracts based on the heat so that could cause leakage issues down the road. Personally this is why I would think they would use a paper gasket. A metal gasket sounds like issues with fluid involved.

Metal gaskets with exhaust is okay since you do not really have specific torque specs and when the exhaust heats up to expand it should seal either way but you do not have to be concerned with liquid leaking out in the case of exhausts.

If you do have a metal gasket I would probably not use the RTV silicon on it to prevent cracking of the sealant that may in turn get into you system and contaminate it.

[Tiluleshpingen]

i used some of the white silicone tha is provided from the dealer, very thin film , it is used to seal oil pans.

[chriswstprt]

i replace 4-5 water pumps a week at my shop bmw's, audi's, mb and if it is a paper/cardboard type gasket i always use a small amount of sealant on both sides of the gasket. i don't use silicone, i forgot what its called. its in a small brown bottle and you can get it at any parts store.

[spyder101]

I would never use a metal gasket on seal something up like a water pump. I would imagine that the metal expands and contracts based on the heat so that could cause leakage issues down the road. Personally this is why I would think they would use a paper gasket. A metal gasket sounds like issues with fluid involved.

Metal gaskets with exhaust is okay since you do not really have specific torque specs and when the exhaust heats up to expand it should seal either way but you do not have to be concerned with liquid leaking out in the case of exhausts.

If you do have a metal gasket I would probably not use the RTV silicon on it to prevent cracking of the sealant that may in turn get into you system and contaminate it.

On the contrary, metal gaskets are very good...the intake manifolds on B5S4 use metal gaskets and the manifolds MUST be torqed to specs and 1.8T's use metal gaskets on the oil cooler housing that mates to the block (very hot and alot of pressure behind it). So you see, metal gaskets work quit well.