ok.. a few people told me to just use the felpro gaksets and no sealant and a few others said to put sealant along with the gaskets on the water pump... what's everyone else in here sugest?

 

I use a THIN layer of sealant on the gaskets.

Don't forget to put a thread sealant, not silicon, on the bolt threads. (I use Loktite PST with teflon), the bolts go through to water passages.

 

Jeff,

The key to getting a good seal to to absoultely clean everything. Be **** about it. Get every last piece of gasket material and sealant off the mating surfaces. Stone the surfaces flat if there is any corrosion, or there are nicks or gouges.

Once the surfaces are clean, dry, and flat, you have a surface just like what the factory had when the engine was originally assembled. They didn't use any sealants on most gasket surfaces, so you shouldn't have to either. I've NEVER had a leak on a joint that was clean and undamaged - even with diesel fuel, straight kerosene, synthetic lubricants, quench oils, and DexCool (all with high molecular adhesion and a tendency to wick through the smallest openings). I've been lazy and not cleaned them thoroughly, and had them leak. I've short-cut the job and used sealers, but they are only marginal if the surfaces aren't clean. I've also paid for my laziness by having to do it over again.

You can use a light coating of sealant of spray adhesive/sealant to hold the gasket in place, but the gasket should do the sealing.

 

not that the last reply is wrong - no disrespect.
but i would use thin layer of sealant mainly because if you look at the sealing surface of the water pump most (factory) pumps have lots of casting flaws.