2013 V8 5.0. I am in the middle of replacing my water pump due to a very slow leak. First time doing a more repair. I watched 3-4 videos on how to replace the water pump.

I finally got the old pump off- was hard since one hose was essentially glued to the pump- and I could see the old seals were worn and rusty. I went to put in the new seals... there is some small remnants of the old seals (looks like the paint) still stuck on the engine block. It is very small, thin, and flat, but across both seals. Is this going be a problem? How do I clean this off?

One other related question- do I add any grease or sealant to the o-rings or seals?

Thanks!

Thin black line from old seals visible

 

That shouldn't hurt, but to be safe just stuff a rag in each of the holes then take a scrubby pad, the kind you use in the kitchen - and it shouldn't take much to scrub the remnants of the old material away without damaging the aluminum.
Don't use sand paper. Stick to a "green pad" style scrub pad.
And no grease, sealant or anything. Just the fresh metal gaskets. As long as you don't try to re-use them they'll work fine with proper installation/torque.

 

THANKS!!

 

Just don't forget to remove the rags after you scrub the debris away. And if you have a shop vac, vacuum around the ports too for good measure.

 

Good advice!
Thanks for the great pictures because it's hard to figure out what's going on without them.
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