302 water pump bolts

Do any of these bolts go through into the water jacket necessitating sealer of some kind on them?
Thanks
Simon
 
No, none should go thru to block water jackets, if the block is an old one or had stripped threads repaired a past owner might have drilled too deep to repair, but as new they should not. Choose your gaskets wisely, some cannot be used as there are several pump, timing cover, block combinations to trap you.
 

Randy V

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Sorry Jac, I am pretty sure there are two that go all the way through from the water pump and front cover and there is water on the other side. I’ve got two such blocks. Both of them E7 blocks (Mustang HO) that are like this. Neither block was modified other than having cylinders bored.
You are absolutely correct that there are numerous gasket combinations - one of Ford’s best kept secrets is “why”…
A865B118-3335-4F47-979C-AA01A4220256.jpeg
 
Be sure you're water pump matches your timing cover too. The later ones (serpentine belt and EFI) are designed for reverse rotation pumps and have no fuel pump mount. Then of those, there's the dainty little Mustang pump (302) and the big hause E350 1 ton van (351) water pump. It was more than just gasket fiddelry.
 
Just to confuse matters, I have a 1987 302, recently I pressure tested the block. Definitely a homemade system, however, I did not have any water coming out of where the timing cover, water pump bolts should have been. You may have to turn your computer screens upside down to view.
 

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Randy V

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Makes me wonder if the blocks supplied or machined down under are done differently from those in the USA…
 
Makes me wonder if the blocks supplied or machined down under are done differently from those in the USA…
No OZ or SA blocks here, just checked a couple of 'E' blocks I have , neither go thru to water at that above location. However I dont use them for performance builds due to the head stud boss's that go thru to water and lack of metal around main bearing bolt/stud locations. Looking for a Dart 302 block for my Cortina, there were heaps used in the NZTA lite series here, but a loophole in the rules meant most had a big chunk milled off the deck surface ( like 0.090" or so ). Not what I want!
 
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