2.5L ('98-'01) rtv sealant on water pump

[youngmanwithapickuptruck]

I am doing a water pump replacement and my chilton manual implies i should add "RTV sealant" to the face of the pump and/or engine.
the manual list steps for replacement for a yr01-11 2.3l pump and then further down says
"all other models "
followed by more instruction...
'scrape off old gasket material'
"26 apply a thin coat of RTV sealant to engine side of the new gasket (large o ring?)
"27 apply thin layer of RTV sealant to the gasket mating surface of the new pump, then carefully mate the gasket and the pump..."
**what is the difference between a 'thin coat' and a 'thin layer'?
****i am also now noticing the manual says "RANGER PICKUPS - 2000-08 repair manual"
do you think theyre skipping installation steps for a yr98-00 2.5l ranger and these instructions are just for the v6 3.0 and 4.0?

most of the youtube videos i have watched on water pump replacement seem to show removal, focus on installing timing belt, and then skip re-instalation of water pump.
and then i looked up some forum threads and couldnt find much aside from this post

2.5L water pump large o-ring seal - Ford Ranger Forum

Hello, My 2.5L is getting a new water pump. The pump is sealed up against the cast-iron block with a large o-ring. The sealing surface on the block is

www.fordrangerforum.com

where the guy says something along the lines of "repair manual says i dont need to add RTV, but should i add a thin coat of RTV anyways?"

also i was at the store and there was a bunch of different "RTV sealant" for water pumps and oil pumps and other shit, but no general purpose RTV.... do i need to use the RTV for coolant lines? what name would regular "RTV sealant" be under?
yall have any quick tips on applying "RTV sealant"? i have never used the stuff before.

 

[franklin2]

RTV is handy for aluminum castings that are pitted and a little corroded. It stops minor leaks that can happen from worn gasket surfaces. You usually do not use it when a o-ring is used, but if you look where the o-ring goes and it's a little rough and pitted, it may help it seal.

When you are using it with a gasket, put a few daubs around the area you are sealing, and then take your finger and smear through the daubs, leveling it out evenly all the way around the surface. No need for a thick bead. It will stick in any pits in the metal and help seal it up along with the gasket.

Any rtv you get in the store will work. They have blue, red, black, etc. The red is usually high temp, you can use it as well. I go to Lowe's and buy the large tube of GE 50 year clear rtv caulk, it works just as well as any of the other does from the auto store and is cheaper. But as a start you can buy a small tube from the parts store.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've grown fond of the "ultra" black or grey RTV, I just use it everywhere, no use having multiples... it's more resilient against fuel and oil and such than others, the standard blue and red turn into a gross goo after being exposed to some things...

the Lima water pump gaskets aren't usually the cause of any leaks but a little RTV won't hurt anything, like said above just a little bit then smear it around and you're good, there's no gap so don't need a bead...

 

[franklin2]

I've grown fond of the "ultra" black or grey RTV, I just use it everywhere, no use having multiples... it's more resilient against fuel and oil and such than others, the standard blue and red turn into a gross goo after being exposed to some things...

the Lima water pump gaskets aren't usually the cause of any leaks but a little RTV won't hurt anything, like said above just a little bit then smear it around and you're good, there's no gap so don't need a bead...

Yes, rtv around fuel areas is a no-no. Permatex works better for those areas.

 

[BlackBII]

I've grown fond of the "ultra" black or grey RTV, I just use it everywhere, no use having multiples... it's more resilient against fuel and oil and such than others, the standard blue and red turn into a gross goo after being exposed to some things...

the Lima water pump gaskets aren't usually the cause of any leaks but a little RTV won't hurt anything, like said above just a little bit then smear it around and you're good, there's no gap so don't need a bead...

Same here. I use the ultra black on everything because it never leaks. Water pumps, oil pains, diff covers, etc. It can be a pain to remove from the surfaces when replacing the part, but I'd rather spend 10 minutes scraping it off than having it leak at some point.

 

[Ranger850]

**what is the difference between a 'thin coat' and a 'thin layer'?

thin layer, like this and should be able to "see through" it, ( don't really know how to explain that )

put a few daubs around the area you are sealing, and then take your finger and smear through the daubs

a thin "coat" would be thicker, and no visibility "through" the RTV.

EDIT: a thin "coat" would be similar to icing on a cake. Thick enough to cover the cake completely but not "globbed" on