[HellRaZoR_1200]

Is it ok just top use straight rty with no gasket and would t last a good while...I used straight rty on valve covers and thermostat housings before and they've held up good..but what about the water pump?

 

[Nicks79]

If everything is clean, you shouldn't have any problems. Personally, I would use a shop towel cut to fit, covered in RTV to make a material seal if nothing else. :bigthumbsup

 

[Chuck M]

Not a good idea because the timing cover gasket surface and the water pump gasket surface do not necessarily match perfectly. This could cause one of components to crack when the bolts are torqued. The gasket also allows for the fit imperfections as well as sealing the pump. A thin coat of RTV on the gasket would not hurt anything and would promote sealing.

 

[v8only]

I had a w/p gasket blow out at the track...having no spare, we siliconed the crap out of it.

got me home, but it did start leaking again very soon after. Use the proper gasket....silicone probably won't hold up, then will just create a hell of a lot of clean up work scraping it off when you have to redo it with a gasket.