Parts stores sell cooling system specific RTV. Seems to hold up better with antifreeze. I put a super light coat on both sides of the gasket. Clean the timing cover good. Clean the bolt holes and bolts up good so you get a nice even clamping load. I'd pull the radiator. It's not much work, but gives you way more space. You're already going to have the coolant drained since the water pump is coming out so it's not like you're saving any time by leaving it in.
You will want to drain and remove the radiator.
Gnarls.
Draining radiator definitely a must for this job, and you get to fill it water and swing it around to get more junk out of the tanks too.
....well, I did the pump Saturday...not too bad of a job, used the rubber gasket that came w/ pump (old one did not have gasket only sealant/maker), I put the thermostat/water pump Permatex on both sides of gasket. I did run into one bump along the way......In the center of the pump case there is one larger (M8x1.25) long bolt that goes fairly deep into the block. Mine was quite corroded and seemed pathway to threads seemed to be greasy/water gunk and so blew a little penetrating oil in there and I replaced with new bolt (exciting ride to Ace on my bicycle in middle of mechanic job....just sold second car two weeks ago). The new bolt caught about 2 or 3 sets of threads and started stripping....I just left it in and tightened up all the other bolts. It was pulled up against the case at this point as the original wasn't getting much bite either (new one actually ran about 1 set of threads deeper).
I did soak the pump for about an hour before install, filled after install but did not run it until next day. No leaking, noise, or weeping from weep hole at start up or to this point.......been driving it for about 50 miles so far.
Here's the old pump and the old bolt, pump looks fine, probably will still run hot on long duration loads.....should have done radiator instead, but oh well....maybe in a few weeks.
What does that long bolt screw into?....think I'll develop a leak from it being stripped? You can see it went into the second hole to the left of the propeller on the center flow path divider in the image of the old pump below. You can also see that old one wasn't holding much either (only about 4 sets of threads, they have already been hit w/ wire brush in image but you see that the deep ones show more engagement)....wonder if this was a replacement and original was even longer to catch more thread?....I guss being stripped in better than having the old one broken off in there.
I drove it up 24 through Oakland hills and through tunnel, and it didn't seem to run as hot as before but I'm not sure that was enough load or time duration for to see the warming I saw before.
