I am completely stumped with this one. I have done this 3 times now. Once with the gasket that came in the new pump box, once with a new Fel-Pro and sealant goop and once with a new Fel-Pro and no goop. Each time the same thing happens. I fill up the system, run it till warm, no leaks. I turn it off and it starts to leak. It has leaked twice from the bottom an once from the top. I have cleaned both surfaces so they are as smooth a a baby's bottom but still drips away. What am I doing wrong here? I have done several water pumps before but this is the first Dodge. Is there some magic voodoo I am missing that needs to be performed with the ol Dodge?

It's a 2000 Ram 5.2.

Jason

 

The last time I did a water pump, Iwas working on an '86 F-250. Not a Ram, but a water pump is a water pump, so I thought I'd put in my 2 cents.

I used the red Permatex RTV on both sides of the gasket. I torqued everything down in sequence per the manual, and after everything was torqued down and verified, I reassembled everything, filled 'er up, and had no problems.

I'd say get another gasket, coat both sides of the gasket with Permatex RED, installgasket and pumpand torque it down. Good luck!

 

It just might be possible that the quality control used to manuafacture your new water pump was lacking. The mounting points must be perfectly parallel with each other to mount correctly to the engine. I've an idea that each mount point is ground on a different plain level and when you tighten one side, the other is uneven with the block.

 

Yea i have seen aftermarket pumps have odd castings on them, like little boogars, they may hit something else, not letting the pump sit flush with the block

Thats the first thing i would check

 

Are you positive it is the water pump leaking? I mean can you see the area it is leaking from?
It could be a bad shaft seal on the pump (unlikely) or it could be the timing cover gasket leaking where it mates to the block.

 

I think I have used every sealant known to man including Indian, which is liquid. I have never had a pump leak ever. The backwash hose is good and you reconnected it? I usually let my truck sit overnight when I do anything with gaskets. I do coat both sides. I also like to prep the surfaces with alchohol if I can. Good luck. I hope it is a bad pump, not anything more serious.