Apex

After a week of daily visits to the car squirting a little pb-blaster on the rusty water pump studs - and then finally with application of enough heat from a propane torch to the engine block - the all the studs save one have backed out. yessir! and I'm confident I'll get the last one out today. It actually moved a little yesterday.

But let's talk re-install.

Is anything special required due to the fact these studs penetrate to the water jacket? The plan is to use Optimol TA anti-seize on the studs. Should I worry about leaks at the stud? Will some form of loc-tite provide a better seal?

944Ross

On flathead Fords, which have 21 studs for each head, the gold standard is GM Part number 012346004, a bit pricey at about 23 bucks. It is probably not worth it for four wp studs, so maybe Permatex non-hardening Form-A Gasket? but you can't use both anti-seize and a sealant.

Apex

Thanks 944Ross for the quick reply - ha! I didn't mean to imply using both. The manual calls for loctite red on the stud nuts. Maybe this is what I should use on the block/stud threads as well. I just wasn't sure about the chemistry involved. But come to think of it - form-a-gasket stuff would apparently have the right chemistry to deal with the water/glycol. Loctite 573 sealant comes to mind as well.