A&Q about 350Z
Q:
OK I know i screwed up so please just try to give me a straight answer.
I used "Clear RTV" when i put the water pump back on my 1993 V6 3.2l Rodeo motor. Now after some thought i realized that "Clear RTV" is not High Temp gasket type RTV. My bad for not knowing that all RTV were not alike.
So my question is, Do I need to pull the water pump back off and remove the Clear RTV and redo it with High Temp RTV?
What are some of the issues I will run into if i leave the Clear RTV in there? Is it going to break down and cause the water pump to leak?
OK thanks for the advice ahead of time.
A:
The worst that will happen is it will start to leak. If it leaks, pull it off and re-do it with black, grey, or red RTV. Depending on how much you used, the silicates in the coolant will precipitate out on the silicone molecules and make a jello-like growth around the seal inside. At worst it will shorten the life of the pump slightly or clog the heater core. Both easily fixable things.
A:
Surprisingly enough, water pumps do not see 'high temps'. The 200-220 deg that a water pump might get is within the temp range of any basic automotive type RTV sealer.
A:
The BIG difference in normal "one-part"(caulk gun) rtv silicones:
Regular 400°F
High-Temp 500°F
A:
You will be fine. I use the clear caulk gun type (GE brand) all the time for waterpumps, thermostat housings, valve covers, etc., and have never had an issue. I like the clear because it looks better. Any of it is WAY better than what we used to have. Anyone remember Indian Head Shelliac???
A:
yes i actually used it about a year ago... that stuff was nasty.
A:
You think it's bad going on, wait until you must chisel the part off to remove it.
A:
you could use a chisel?? i had to practically use explosives on it...