in all cases of sealing cooling system o-rings ..
if they are assembled like they are ..
in time they will shrink and leak ...Honda's do it, VW's do it etc.

I recommend a high quality black silicone sealant such as The Right
Stuff ( the ONLY sealant I ever use anymore, for oil pans, cooling
system parts, etc ) or Toyota's very good black silicone.

these sealants are so good you don't even need a gasket or o-ring there
at all ..
when used with an o-ring ..it's never going to leak there , period.
Comes apart very easily too, years later.

which is why ALL screws , esp. cooling system screws, should be
installed with something on them..
I find Permatex High Tack gasket goop to be hyper perfect .
prevents corrosion, sticks 'em in there ...
( anti-vibration ) ..
like it's a mortal sin to put a screw into a housing or block dry.

it's all about the workmanship.
Scott
On 5/28/2014 11:14 PM, Frank Condelli wrote:
>          O-rings do not normally need sealant if the mating surfaces are in good condition.  HOWEVER, I always smear a very light coat of RTV sealant on that O-ring when installing it just to keep it from falling out of place while I�m trying to get the pipe in position to insert the bolts.
>
>
> On May 28, 2014, at 7:58 PM, Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> wrote:
>
>> Hey people.
>>
>> I doubt this is the case, but did VW add sealant along with the rubber
>> (neoprene?) seal at the coolant pump and big metal pipe where it seals
>> to the pump?
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Frank Condelli
> Almonte, Ontario, Canada
> '87 VW Westy, '00 Kawasaki 250 Sherpa, "98 Ducati 750 Monster & Lionel Trains (Collection for sale)
> Frank Condelli & Associates - Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
> BusFusion a VW Camper camping event, Almonte, ON, June 05 ~ 08, 2014
>