Is it "acceptable practice" to use some sort of liquid or paste-like gasket
seal material that evidently hardens in place of a correct gasket seal?  A
while back I had a water pump changed in a car and it seems like some sort
of reddish-brown sealant material was used instead of the correct gasket (I
can see this stuff all around the outside of the water pump).  My engine has
been overheating a lot lately and when I looked inside the radiator, I found
several pieces of this reddish-brown gasket seal material.  I pulled out two
pieces about 2 " in length each and I'm wondering if some more of this
material has been floating around in my radiator clogging up something or
stuck in the thermostat and this is accounting for the overheating.  I'd
appreciate any thoughts about the validity of using this gasket seal stuff
before I go back to the mechanic and question him on why he didn't use the
proper water pump gasket.  For example, do some people use this sealant in
addition to a correct gasket?  I haven't taken the pump off, so I don't know
whether or not this reddish-brown stuff was the only thing used.

Your comments are appreciated.

Steve

89 Westy