LS2 water pump gasket
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6,761
Likes: 292
From: Fort Worth TX
LS2 water pump gasket I just had to replace my WP yesterday and got the LS2 WP (ac delco ). It came with the rubber gasket and a paper gasket and the instructions said to use both gaskets. I had never seen the paper gasket before and did not know that the LS2 thermo housing used or needed a paper gasket. I then searched to find some more gaskets for spares, I cannot find the paper gaskets anywhere ! Anyone have knowledge of the paper gaskets ???
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,654
Likes: 531
Never seen a paper LS water pump gasket but not to say they don't exist. As far as I know all gen 3/4 LS engines use the same water pump o-ring type gaskets.
Stock gen 3/4 thermostat housings use an o-ring gasket.
Stock gen 3/4 thermostat housings use an o-ring gasket.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6,761
Likes: 292
From: Fort Worth TX
The water pump I bought to replace on my 2004 Silverado came with both types of gaskets. I just used these not the paper ones.
TECH Addict
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 2,190
Likes: 977
I've never seen paper gaskets in a LS engine set.
I wouldn't use them if I got them. Modern ones seal so much better, there's no sense in going back to the Stone Age.
The thermostat housing has a sort of square-cut O-ring in all of the WP types, if memory serves. No paper there either.
I wouldn't use them if I got them. Modern ones seal so much better, there's no sense in going back to the Stone Age.
The thermostat housing has a sort of square-cut O-ring in all of the WP types, if memory serves. No paper there either.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6,761
Likes: 292
From: Fort Worth TX
the LS1 thermo uses a O ring type....and the LS2 uses a bigger form fitting type that is keyed to the housing....while that may seal the thermostat itself....the paper gasket seals the thermo housing to the pump surface for no leaks ?
TECH Addict
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 2,190
Likes: 977
Every LS type WP I've ever seen has the O-ring thing around the thermostat that sort of "encloses" it, but ends up too thick to fit down in there; so bolting it all up compresses the O-ring, thereby sealing up the whole deal. Thermostat, housing, and all, all in one fell swoop.
All that adding paper would do, is reduce the clamping force on the O-ring, and allow a seepage path for the small coolant molecules to ooooooozzzzzzzzzzze sideways through the paper and make a mess, like they've always done before better gasket techniques were introduced.
Reminds me of any number of hot-rodding things that are designed to be SOLD, because people DEMAND them; independent of whether they actually WORK or not. As a perfect example, believe it or not, people STILL fall for the "350 HP 327 cam" crap, that gets them that old POS 151 (221°/221°, .447"/.447") that's been making pump gas motors slow for almost 60 years now.
Silicone ONLY. NO paper.
Step directly into the 21st century.
All that adding paper would do, is reduce the clamping force on the O-ring, and allow a seepage path for the small coolant molecules to ooooooozzzzzzzzzzze sideways through the paper and make a mess, like they've always done before better gasket techniques were introduced.
Reminds me of any number of hot-rodding things that are designed to be SOLD, because people DEMAND them; independent of whether they actually WORK or not. As a perfect example, believe it or not, people STILL fall for the "350 HP 327 cam" crap, that gets them that old POS 151 (221°/221°, .447"/.447") that's been making pump gas motors slow for almost 60 years now.
Silicone ONLY. NO paper.
Step directly into the 21st century. Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo