Rear timing cover leak repair - need your help!

[mjgrantham]

Hey all. Hoping for some helpful advice, soon. My 97 Concorde 3.5 w/ 223k developed a second coolant leak from the front of the engine. Using a pressure tester I found it was leaking from the water pump housing o-ring (pass side) and also the o-ring behind the water pump itself. I did this exact repair 3 years ago including new pump! I do everything meticulously so this has me a bit frustrated. I've got it all torn down and cleaned up real nice, except there seems to be a lot of pitting in the o-ring grooves on the back of the water pump housing, mainly the large one. QUESTION: Can I use high temp RTV oil-resistant sealant in the grooves and then put the new O-rings in to make sure they don't leak from the pitting?

Also, I found the cam thrust plates to have hard, cracked seals. QUESTION: Can I get away with cleaning them real good and applying a bead of RTV sealant to fill/recoat? I don't have days to chase down hard-to-find parts or buy online.

Experienced advice is much appreciated!

[rhandwor]

You should be able to get cam seals at a parts store. The cam rotates and would break a silicon seal. I use Permatex No.2 but you can use silicone on a water pump. I've found silicone if you use two much will cause bolts to break and bolt holes need cleaned every time you replace a part.