Had a water pump start leaking, when I replaced it with a new one, it leaked even worse (around the gasket and O rings this time). The process I took...I unbolted everything and removed the water pumpI scrapped everything off with a wire brushI coated both sides of the gasket with red gasket siliconI mounted the new one and bolted it down tightening in a cross pattern(kinda difficult to get everything lined up)It leaked real bad the first time so I loosened the bolts and played with the top rubber seal to make it seat better.It leaked a little less the second time... but still WAY too much.I completely removed it the third time and (totally distroying the gasket) gooped it up with gasket sealer again, along with the O rings and tried again... leaked worse.Considering options... go with a white or black high heat siliconPossibly just using the sealer with NO gasketGooping the HECK out of it with JB-weld and pray!Suggestions?Know what I did wrong here?
Two questions 1) Did you buy a new gasket? 2) Did you let the sealant set long enough? If you answered yes to both of these than the only thing left is to make sure you have the right type of sealant. Is it the waterproof stuff for waterpumps? You mentioned the stuff was red, it's been a couple of years since I changed a waterpump but I believe it was the BLUE stuff that I needed. But I could be wrong. Take it apart. Make sure it's clean (you can use a wire brush but I find a paint scraper works better) and apply the new gasket to the new water pump then but the whole thing back on the engine. Star pattern tightening the bolts. Test it without putting the clutch fan (I think this still has one) back on just to see if it's leaking. Hope that helps.
The first thing I was taught on Volvo water pumps was to use NO sealer. Get yourself a new gasket.Make sure the block is clean. Install the gasket on the two studs. Grease the heater pipe o-ring after installing on the pipe. Grease the hole it fits into. Install the top seal on the water pump and coat the surface with grease. Install the pump on the block and make sure the pipe has entered the pump. Tighten the two nuts until the pump is almost contacting the block but still moves easily. Insert a smaller Phillips head screwdriver into the bottom bolt hole of the pump and into the block. Lift the pump ,using the screwdriver ,until you can start the top bolt.Then use the screwdriver to wiggle the pump to start the left side bolt. Once you have started those two bolts,the bottom one will go right in. Tighten it all up and install the heater pipe bolt and you are done.
