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Dear FastJack,
Hope you're well. The steel pipe takes water to the heater core. I'll add to the excellent advice given, a caution as to the "O" ring, emplaced at the end of the steel pipe, where it enters the water pump housing.
The Volvo brand "O" ring has slightly rounded (radiused) edges. That slight curve helps the "O" to seat itself inside the pump housing. The rounded edge is less likely to grip the inside of the housing's recess - and get twisted - as the pump is slid onto the end of the tube. If the "O" ring stays properly aligned - if its edges are perfectly parallel to the end of the steel pipe - the "O" will seat correctly into the pump housing.
Most aftermarket "O" rings have square edges, which are more likely to snag on the pump housing, as the pump is slid onto the end of the pipe. That can twist the "O" ring, and keep it from sealing.
I've always used Volvo brand "O" rings. I've never used sealant on this "O" ring and have never had a leak.
I'd also advise use of the Volvo brand "doughnut" seal, at the top of the water pump. The Volvo brand item is made of thicker rubber, than are aftermarket items.
The thinner aftermarket "doughnut" seals are more likely to fail with time, as pressure and vibration re-shape the rubber. The thicker Volvo brand seals simply do not fail if installed correctly. I use a bottle jack - and a strip of wood - to lift the pump and hold the pump firmly (but gently) under the head, compressing the "doughnut" seal - while I tighten the bolts and nuts, that secure the pump to the engine.
The strength and durability of a rubber item depends critically on the ingredients and how they are combined and processed. That cannot be known by looking at an item. Most Volvo brand rubber items seem to last: radiator and heater hoses will last at least a decade (more in areas with lower average ambient temperatures).
In the case of water pump seals, while the rubber used in Volvo brand items may be of higher quality, it is the obviously different physical specifications (e.g., radiused versus square edge, thicker versus thinner material) that seem to matter a lot.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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