I will be installing my 4th new water pump shortly since its leaking near the top o-ring again. And since no one local auto store has the seal kit in stock, once aain i'll be buying the whole new pump.

Is there something i'm not doing correctly that these seals keep blowing out on me ?

I've tried both Hepu and GMB pumps...next i'm ordering a bunch of seal kits from fcp seeing as i now have 3 spare pumps :)

Thanks for the replies.

I got the 4th waterpump in. I was going to try and replace just the gasket and o'ring but the old gasket is bonded to the pump. I tried scraping it for 20 mins and finally gave up on it. Looks like it needs to be hot-tanked or something.

Anyway, I noticed that the o-ring had slipped outward and you could see about 1/8" outside of the mating surface. Perhaps the high tension on my alternator belts had to do with it ? I did clean the mating surface really well like I always do (with the help of a mirror on a telescoping stick).

Any ideas on how to clean the old bonded gaskets off the old pumps ? BTW, I've noticed that the "new" pumps are usually refurbished units.

Lots of great discussion on this post, and then you introduced two more topics that we can all weigh in on.....

Gasket remover - Your local auto parts store (e.g. NAPA) will have aerosol gasket remover that sprays on and foams up like oven cleaner. It is just about as nasty as oven cleaner as well. DON'T get it in your eyes.

Tight alternator belts - Garage mechanics invariably tighten belts much tighter than they need to be. I run mine just as loose as I can get away with. If I cannot turn the alternator inside the belt by pushing on the alternator fan with my thumb, it is tight enough. A/C belt is not much tighter. Power steering belt can be loose as heck and still not slip appreciably.

I replace V-belts every 10 years whether they need it or not, never a failure.
I've never lost an alternator bearing, with three cars close to a quarter million miles each.

Serpentine belts on the newer cars are a different matter, however. They are designed to run tight as guitar strings, and the idlers generally tension them automatically.

Your second post implies that you've just put in another pump. Let's hope all goes well this time. But if I'm reading it wrong, don't put out any effort until you try "Alumaseal". It fixed my 1980 for four years so far (not many miles these days but it isn't leaking). I only used half of the container, in case the recommended amount was intended for larger-capacity systems.

I don't have any financial interest in this product. I tried it because an indy mechanic suggested it.

Good luck.

Doug Harvey

Easential points in my experience are;
1) clean away corrosion
2) check pump holes really are sufficiently elongated. Some pattern makes have casting burrs etc which limit the movement. Check without the seal first, and elongate the slots if necessary
3) use gooey sealant
4) lever upwards, and keep pressure on lever until the bolts are tight

5) Fix any minor camshaft oil seal leak. Oil can trickle down onto the rubber seal and soften it.

I also believe it's essential to insure that the underside of the cylinder head is clean. I recently installed my first pump and found that there was quite a bit of oxidation/etc that needed to be cleaned-up. A mirror and bright light help to see-up while it's being cleaned. Also, after speaking with several mechanics, I decided to use a little petroleum jelly on the o ring to keep it from binding during installation. Evidentily, a lot of folks install these o rings dry without any problem -- yet it seems that the jelly may be helpful. And some mechanics actually use water pump permatex (grey sealer) instead of the jelly.

dnvolvo
'89 765
'91 245

I can never understand when folks claim they can change a coolant pump in x minutes. Seems to me like the changing part is the easy part; the preparation takes time.

The Volvo made seal between the head and the water pump has a better history than the aftermarket seals.
--
john

Mine leaked after I recently replaced. I thought I cleaned it with a rag but it probably had some corrosion. (%^$!)

Next time emory cloth + some silicone grease.
--
Norm Cook Vancouver BC; 1989 745T 204,000KM

Change the radiator pressure cap. Use the 75 kPa cap, and not the later 150kPa cap.
After doing four pumps I am sure you are quite good at installing them. The problem may very well be the cap - I have seen it before.

from Volvo Problem Solver

"the cylinder head mating area is quite often corroded with metal deterioration, this area is somewhat out of sight and therefore is often overlooked when repacing the pump. You should be sure that it is smooth as it can be when replacing the pump. THE SEALING AT THIS POINT IS CRUCIAL. USE SOME FINE SAND PAPER OR EMORY CLOTH."

Also use the aforementioned technique of levering the pump up with a large screw driver or pry bar while tighenting the bolts.

seal kits are available from places like IPD for about $10.....you now have a lifetime supply of "new" waterpumps.

Has your head gasket been replaced? Could the new head gasket be thicker than stock?

Unusual pressure in the water from a head gasket leak would most likely push out at the water fill cap rather than blowing out that O-ring.

Each of our three bricks has had one new water pump installed. I put them on dry, and pry upward on the water pump as I tighten the bolts, to get the pump up as tight as the play in the bolt holes will allow. None of them have ever leaked.

If I were having the troubles that you are having, I would probably either try a sealant around the O-ring, or I would file out the bolt holes a bit with a rat-tail file to allow me to push the pump up another 1/32" and mash that O-ring tighter.

First thing you need to do is round up all them water pumps and send them to me.

Just kidding but a water pump should last at least 5 years. To seal the top o-ring you need to use a lever such as a large screw driver before tighten the bolts to get a good seal. Either not enough force or there is some junk up in the block.

Is oil getting on the seal? Dan

Are you putting anything on the seal during installation?

Oops. Caught myself with a mistake. That was $38 for 6 seals, not for 3. Bought a set for each motor. About 5 bucks a seal plus tax. Beats a new pump x 2.

I'll add my 2 cents to the fray. My '85 240 and my wife's '87 740 have the same B230F engine and matching water pumps. Both had the "green dribbles" at the pump area, mostly from the top pump seal at the head. If there's no coolant running from the weep hole at the shaft, it's not the pump. The pump's fine. I found that locally, parts stores only have the seals with the replacement pumps. Went to the dealer and got the 3 seals each pump takes and replaced them. They were $38 for 3 but worth it. As other posters have said, the mating surfaces are critical. I made sure they were clean and added a thin coat of Permatex HiTack to hold them in place during install. Plus it added a measure of extra sealing. The upward pressure with a prybar on the pump to press the top seal against the head is critical. That was over a year ago and many miles and no "green dribbles". I learned this lesson the hard way. Bought the 240 in '99 and it was leaking the same way and had someone replace the perfectly good pump. That pump's still fine with the replacement seals. The car has 235K and the 740 has 185K and both are leak free, at least water pump wise! If you still have your replaced pumps and didn't have to turn them in for a core charge, keep them. They're probably still good.