ohio4runner4x4

Today.....is.....Timing Belt changing day on the 97 4R!
I'm hoping you guys can help me out with my dilemma! I changed the belt on my 2000 4R and used RTV and it worked great! The water pump for the 1997 came with a metal/rubber "gasket"...at least I think it's a gasket! My dilemma is...should I use the gasket that came with the pump, or should I scrap the gasket and use RTV which I know works fine or should I use both RTV & the gasket? Any quick $.02 is much appreciated! I have to have this done today!

MTL_4runner

Just use RTV to seal the WP, but clean the surfaces very well before applying.

montypower

Get the dealer gausket (it's the metal/rubber one). And be VERY VERY careful to get the crank pulley bolt torqued to the correct specs.

ohio4runner4x4

Here's a pic of the gasket.....

MTL_4runner

You can do it either with the metal gasket or just with RTV...
http://www.toy4x4.net/timing_belt/index.htm

Weasy2k

i used the metal and it works great. They switched over to the metal to help speed up timingbelt/water pump changes (plus the dealers dont really know how to use RTV properly....the constant MESS i have to clean up after them all the time drives me nuts...

vegaskurt

If the water pump comes with the metal gasket then use that one. I had the new style and old style water pump side by side. The old one has a channel for the RTV sealant where the new one does not.

The one I got for my 97 used the metal gasket and its been 2000 miles with no leaks or issues.

ohio4runner4x4

Thanks Guys!
I'm going with the metal one!

Q-DawgVFR

Resurrecting this old thread to ask about the paper style gasket. I bought a water pump at NAPA which I was told is a re-manufactured Toyota part. The water pump has the channel for the FIPG material, and comes with a thin black paper type of gasket. Is this thing gonna leak on me, or what? Should I just use RTV or FIPG material to seal and scrap the gasket? Can the new style metal and rubber gasket work with this pump? Just wondering what will work best.

Weasy2k

Well i would rather use the FIPG in that case...the toyota water pumps come with the nice rubbery gasket one that i would trust more then that....just my opinion

Ringmaster

Use both, get sealant called "The Right Stuff" made bt Permatex, sold by Napa, and many other stores.

Smear a thin coating on the pump, stick the gasket down, and smear a small coat on the gasket side that faces the block, works like a charm.

Q-DawgVFR

Well, I asked my neighbor who is a mechanic, and he said to still use the paper gasket due to thermal expansion and contracting of the parts. He says to use the FIPG material in the water pump channel (as directed), then use 3M weatherstrip adhesive between the gasket and the block.

He says the weatherstrip adhesive was a trade secret shared by an old mechanic that trained him a few years ago. He says he has not had any leaks using this method with gaskets. Ever. (Although he usually uses the glue on both sides of the gasket.)

Also he says to use Permatex Thread sealant on all the bolts, to further reduce chances of leaking.

Anyone else heard about the weatherstrip adhesive trick?

frodin1

I thought I read in yesterdays write up about timing belts, Not to use just RTV to seal the waterpump. It said to use the paper gasket?

Q-DawgVFR

The replacement water pump I bought came with the old style of Toyota pump which uses FIPG material in the channel, and a paper gasket. Some here seem to use the paper gasket while some others omit it. Both methods have had successes.

I honestly don't know what works best, but I think I'll follow my mechanic friend's advice, as he is seldom wrong about these sort of things. That's not to say that there aren't other ways to do it, but I trust him.

Best option would be to use newer style Toyota water pump with the different metal / rubber gasket, but I found out about the difference in types of pumps after I had already bought this pump.

MTL_4runner

I hadn't heard of that one.
I've always just stuck to FIPG myself.