I SCREWED UP!

[Legendary]

Earlier today I stated I had a broken bolt on one of the top holes in the water pump. I was going to drill it out. Well..... I drilled it out alright. I also ended up making the exit hole for the bolt bigger! I thought I had the drill straight but obviously not. Is the location of the hole going to cause a leak or worst, a mixture of coolant and oil? Check out the pics. The hole without the bolt is the hole that I drilled. I'm I going to have to replace the timing chain cover??

 

[kevin2m4]

can you tap it and shove in an oversize bolt?

 

[TT91]

Youll be fine, there are no oil passages or water passages that run ANYWHERE remotely close to that bolt. You could essentially run a slimmer bolt and nut and secure it that way, or u can, like stated above, run a slightly larger bolt. Did u damage the threads? its hard to tell from the pictures...but no worries, youll be OK!

 

[Legendary]

I have the BIGGEST smile on my face right now. I was already going through my bank account and seeing how much I had to spend! The threads still hold the bolt but since half of them are gone I don't think I should trust it! So Mr. sureshot, are you sure?

One last question. There were a total of three different bolts that I had to take out the water pump to replace them with the new ones from the kit. There was some coolant that came out during this transfer. Do you think I damaged my water pump gasket in any way?

 

[TT91]

NO you shouldnt have damaged you gasket in anyway. Did the actual water pump at any time seperate itself from the timing cover? The bolts up top dont have any coolant flowing near it, so theres not need to worry about leaking fro up top.

 

[Legendary]

The pump itself never separated from the timing chain cover. I basically just removed the bolts and put them back. Thanks for the help!



sirsureshot39 for mod!

 

[TT91]

As long as it didnt break the seal(because there may be sealant in there) youll be fine. How much threads do u have left? Do u honestly believe its enough thread to hold a bolt in there? or would you feel more confident using a slightly thinner bolt and nut on the backside?

 

[Legendary]

I put the water pump on myself (last year) and I used a lot of gasket sealent. I don't know if any broke loose but I know some coolant came out when I untighten the bolts. It wasn't a lot and it barely made a spot on the ground.

I thread a 5/16 bolt in there and it held but I don't know about holding under pressure. Since 5/16 is the original size for the hole can I just get a longer bolt the same size and screw it where the back is sticking out and put a nut on that?

Once I'm all done I'm still not ready to start up. I still have the find the right belt size!

 

[TT91]

.

I thread a 5/16 bolt in there and it held but I don't know about holding under pressure. Since 5/16 is the original size for the hole can I just get a longer bolt the same size and screw it where the back is sticking out and put a nut on that?

Thats a really good idea. Find a bolt, same size, with longer threads, and secure it with a nut on that backside. Good thinking!

 

[Legendary]

Thanks for the help man! I should be able to know this out when I get off work.

 

[jrichker]

Get a 5/16" Helicoil thread insert & tap from the auto parts store. That will restore the threads & strenght back to orginal specs. You would probably have to remove the water pump to install the helicoil, so you may want to hold off until the pump needs to come off.

Now you know why my water pump bolt fixit kit post had a drill bushing in it. The drill bushing keeps you from drilling the hole off center and helps prevent thread damage.

 

[Legendary]

Now you know why my water pump bolt fixit kit post had a drill bushing in it. The drill bushing keeps you from drilling the hole off center and helps prevent thread damage.

YES! I'm glad I learned a lesson without having to pay the price!