water pump installation

[john at westcoastgarage.net]

Kneale Brownson wrote:
> <div class="moz-text-flowed" style="font-family: -moz-fixed">I've 
> always thought (and used the approach) that the big O-Ring is the only 
> seal required on an I-5 waterpump.  I'm doing the timing belt on my 
> 200q20v avant, and when I took off the old pump, there was a bunch of 
> black gunk all over the surface surrounding the hole.  After repeated 
> scrubbings with brake cleaner and a brass brush, I've got all the 
> black gunk off, and I find there are several grooves where the old 
> pump sort of corroded to the block, I think.  This is only the second 
> belt replacement, according to the records I got with the car, now at 
> about 130K miles.  I used some fine sandpaper and a sanding block to 
> clean the surface after getting the black crap off.   I can see the 
> grooves still, but they're fairly smooth.  I don't think I could get 
> anything like JB Weld to stick in them enough that the surface would 
> be smoother after additional sanding.
>
> Anyway, the directions for "mounting" the new pump say to remove all 
> traces of old sealant and apply "sealing compound--Curil--between the 
> sealing surface and the new pump".  They also supply the O-Ring, of 
> course.
> Because of the non-totally-smooth condition of this block, I'm tempted 
> to use a sealant.  Never seen Curil before.  Any suggested 
> alternatives I'm likely to find in a rural FLAPS?
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> </div>
>
Rubber to metal.  NEVER use a sealant.  In my 36 years as a German car 
tech, this rule has served me well.  Per a BMW service bulletin for 
cylinder head corrosion repairs, I began using JB Weld to correct 
surface imperfections in BMWs, Vanagons, VR6 engines, and now T44s.  It 
works just fine, and I've had no comebacks for this type of carefully 
done repairs in the last 10 years.  The trick is to use the 24 hour 
curing type (regular), get everything REALLY clean, and properly dress 
the finish once it's cured.  I use a broad flat file and carefully 
restore the surface.  Sometimes it takes more than one application and 
subsequent filing/block sanding.  RTV, even improper usage of one of the 
various Curil sealants, is the tool of amateurs and professional 
hackers, IMO, and rarely is without unwanted consequences.  John