Coolant leak from water pump
I had a coolant leak for a few weeks that got steadily worse, I wasn't able to take it to a garage because all the ones near me are temporarily closed due to covid 19. I kept the water topped up and the engine running cool as I went about my rounds delivering fast food. Unfortunately the water pump eventually let go, it disintegrated and the drive belt popped off.
I managed to source a new pump the next day and removed the old bracket and pump, removed the pump from the bracket on the bench and then as I went to mount the bracket and pump back onto the engine block I noticed the gasket was damaged. I didnt have another gasket so ordered one (7 day delivery time) and mounted the pump with the old gasket in the meantime to get me from A to B.
I anticipated the leak to continue with the damaged gasket but was unprepared for how bad it is. Not quite as bad as before but still pretty bad. Could this small gasket really leak that much water?
I'm going to fit the new gasket when it arrives however should I also apply some kind of sealant? Any tips on making the join water tight?
On a side note, I did clear the pipes of any broken pieces of water pump and I'm confident that the breakage didnt cause any physical damage to the rest of the coolant system.


