Since August I have blown 2 waterpump gaskets. I'm not talking about the pump-to-block gaskets, but the one that seals the metal plate to the back of the pump. I had one start leaking in August. I replaced the gasket but it still leaked so I got a rebuilt pump from Schucks for around $17 and it worked great until just recently when it started leaking at that gasket also. What could have caused both gaskets to fail in such a short time or is the second gasket failure just a coincidence?

 

Not sure why the first pump leaked but the second one was probably because it was a $17 pump!!! You get what you pay for, get a good pump like a Stewart and you won't have anymore failures. I've had a Stewart pump for 8 years and it's still going strong!!!

 

Could be two things: 1) bad luck 2) your coolant is old and acidic and is eating through the gaskets. Since you actually replaced the pump, I'd assume you flushed the coolant and didn't reuse it, so it's likely bad luck. FYI I use silicone on the back of the water pump, not a gasket. I've never had mine leak.