Little Known Facts about Water Pump Mounting Gasket
Posted by Partsavatar on September 7th, 2016
The cooling system of a vehicle is an essential for the engine and vehicle’s systems, especially in hot weather. If your car engine is not able to dissipate the heat it generates, it will overheat leading to engine fires or worse. Nothing quite spectacular happens as movies would have you believe but it can be dangerous. The engine malfunctioning in the middle of the freeway is far from ideal.
The most important part of the car cooling system is its water pump. It does not matter if you are modding a car yourself or replacing an old water pump, choosing the right water pump matters a lot. Apart from the water pump itself, the water pump mounting gasket is also an important part of the system. Often, the functioning of the water pump is affected by the condition of the mounting gasket. Water pump mounting gaskets come in many variants depending on the shape and type of the water pump.
Water pump mounting gaskets may be made from rubber, paper, silicon, metal, felt, and fibreglass of plastic polymers. It acts as a sealant and seals up the space between the engine and the pump. Without it, the engine coolant will start to leak, the water pump will malfunction, and the engine will overheat. Damage to the gasket can also cause water to leak into the oil compartment. Such damage occurs due to age and corrosion. This affects the entire water cooling system.
Generally, the water pump gaskets that are pre-installed in the cars are of high quality and durable but with time they need to be replaced too. Some car experts suggest installing these with a sealant and some would say that it works just fine without the sealant. It depends on personal preference but you should be careful when choosing the sealant should you opt for it. Not every sealant does well with every gasket. Each gasket’s material is different, and the sealant has to be chosen accordingly.
Using the right sealant will increase the life of the gasket and choosing the wrong one may affect it adversely. The sealant is used to protect the gasket from heat and corrosion. It also keeps out the contaminants found in the engine coolant and oil.
Gasket sealants are available in various chemical compositions which allow them to protect the gasket from several potential problems. You can choose from among silicon, copper, anaerobic, and fast drying and fast hardening sealants. Do keep in mind as suggested earlier that the sealant has to be favourable to the material of the gasket.
In case you are looking to buy a water pump mounting gasket online make sure that it matches your water pump and its shape perfectly. Even models that were made a year apart may have minor design changes making the gasket useless. You can also buy a combo pack that includes both the gasket and sealant.
About the Author:
PartsAvatar.ca was conceived and founded by Dr. S. Singh in 2012. Parts Avatar Inc. has been a successful online supplier of auto parts across Canada since 2015. Parts Avatar currently has warehouses spread all across Canada and excel at providing high quality components at highly competitive prices and superfast shipping. The company aims to become the largest retail supplier of automotive parts and accessories in Canada by 2020. Besides supplying parts, the company is also keen on creating innovative niche markets within auto parts, supply chain and repairs industries.
