After a long weekend changing the water pump, hoses, and radiator on my mother's 135k mile '97 Mercury Mountaineer, it still leaks coolant like a sieve. From what I can see I'm pretty sure it's leaking from the timing cover to block seal at the water passage on the driver's side. The issue water pump diagnosis was made by a friend of hers who is an old drag racer and definitely knows cars, but I strongly regret not rechecking his diagnosis of leaking water pump. Sigh. Now I get to take it alllll apart again.
Ford guys - knowing that these are problematic about leaking around those passages in the timing cover, what's the best gasket to put in? will Fel-Pro with high-tack spray be good enough, or should I try to order in the Cometic rubber-coated-steel one? I'd prefer not to do this a 3rd time any time soon. The engine bay is so tight my arms look like I lost a fight with a badger.
The last one I did, I used no gasket at all, just "The Right Stuff." Seemed to work fine. If you go the gasket route, be sure to RTV around the coolant ports. Also, some of the bolts go into the water passages, those need sealer as well.
I had to replace the TC cover in the monster. I just go ahead and pull the radiator to get the room to work.
I used the regular cheap paper gasket coated both sides with red RTV.
If I use the paper gasket I've heard you either want to use Ultra Black RTV as a skim coat or the spray on High Tack. That is, a coating on the block, pit on the gasket, and then a coating on the cover itself. With the metal gasket I've heard use Ultra Black all the way around. I used teflon thread seal on all the long bolts for the water pump. They seem to be good. The small bolts next to the outboard water passages are known for loosening up. They'll be getting Locktite.
Find the widest bastard file and file the mating surface down. It’s warped.
noddaz
SuperDork
4/25/18 6:18 p.m.
And a timing chain while you are there.
Count on the possibility of needing a cover. Most of the time, some filing, a good quality gasket and a helping of Ultra Black will do the job, but sometimes they are corroded away to the point that there is nothing for the gasket to grab.
Also, be prepared for the four long bolts that go all the way from the water pump to the block to be stuck...except you just said you changed the water pump last week. Never mind.
