JD LX188 Kawasaki water pump leak? Only gaskets?

[Dave_A]

About a year ago I noticed steam from the muffler area and I found that the joint around the water pump was oozing coolant. I added stop-leak and tightened the bolts that I could reach and it stopped. Recently I cleaned the radiator and flushed the system, added fresh coolant, and it's leaking again.

1) Will only new gaskets fix it?

2) Do the gasket surfaces deteriorate so that they won't seal to the gaskets and I need a new water pump?

3) Why would this happen after being sealed for years?

Thanks

 

[tomplum]

This isn't a repair that happens everyday in my world. It is certainly possible that the pump or cover will need to be replaced. If you have pinpointed the leak and the pump is for sure the culprit, I would put the whole assembly on due to the labor involved. The hoses definitely can be leakers too, so replace them as well.