Need help asap!

water pump has to come off anyway, loosen all the bolts (spray some lube in there, but I don't think it'll penetrate)

When you get the water pump off, try to get the stubs of the broken bolts off with a vise grip or something similar.

This is very common on untouched 5.0s. Only thing i can tell you to do on the last bolt is to soak it in PB blaster or WD 40 or something. Also, I would try heating the area around the bolt with some MAPP gas or even propane if you have it. This will expand the metal around it and allow the bolt to come out easier. What your going to have to is remove the timing cover i believe. Is it broke off in the timing cover or does it bolt to the block? Replace all those bolts with stainless ones when you get them all out. The water pump needs to come off anyway. If there is anything left of the bolt sticking out you can try vice grips on the part sticking out. If its beneath the timing cover, that cover has to come off

Napa or any hardware store should have them

boxcarracer89 said:

My cousin lent me some of those! So I just drill those into the bolt and try and thread it out?

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You drill a hole into the bolt with a drill bit, then tap one of those lightly into the hole with a hammer to get it to "bite". Then crank it out with a wrench.

You are better off using a left hand twist drill, BTW. And be SUPER careful not to damage the female threads.

boxcarracer89 said:

Ok, so the 2nd bolt broke on me yesterday! It broke inside the timing cover (none of the bolt is sticking out!) Do I need to remove the timing cover to drill the bolt out?

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I would just pull the timing cover. What is left of the bolt will probably unscrew from the block easily without the timing cover on it. They usually corrode inside the bolt hole of the timing cover. The easy-out screw extractors may work, but I never had much luck with them.

+1 on the stainless bolts and put anti-seize on them. Good luck!

Here’s the parts list for the broken water pump bolts. Not cheap, but it will get you fixed and back on the road…

A word about the links, if they don’t work, do a search on the part number (P/N). MSC updates their catalog regularly, and the pages may change, but the part numbers don’t.

Browse the MSC Big Book Use drill bushing 5/16” OD, 5/32” ID, ¾” long, P/N 07010457, This centers the drill bit in the housing bolt hole so you don’t get off center and damage the water pump, timing cover housing or engine block


Browse the MSC Big Book drill bits - use 5/32” Cobalt/TiN coated bit. P/N 78530433,

Browse the MSC Big Book Screw/bolt extractors. Use EZY-OUT Screw Extractor P/N 63760037


One step specialty item: See Drill-Out® Broken Bolt Extractors drill bushing, reverse twist drill & extractor all in one unit. Best to use when the bolt breaks off with the remaining part below the start of the threads. .P/N 05027164. You MUST have a reversing drill motor (either air or electric) to use this bit. Browse the MSC Big Book

A long shank tap should be used to chase the leftover metal out of the original threads. Also recommended to clean the corrosion and dirt out of the threads before you reassemble everything. Cleaning the threads will help prevent the bolts from seizing next time (yes, there will be a next time).

Long shank 5/16” taps

Browse the MSC Big Book 5/16” pulley tap, 6” shank P/N 04801189

OR second choice, will not clean all the bottom threads unless you grind the end of the tap.

Browse the MSC Big Book extension tap, 6” reduced diameter shank P/N 04701181

Use lots of antiseize on the bolts to protect them from corrosion and make them easier to remove next time. I use NAPA #BK 7651151 at $21.29 for 16 oz. It is good for all the bolt and nuts, especially water pump and exhaust bolts and nuts.

See Totally Stainless for replacement stainless steel bolts. Last time I checked, they didn't have the studs. Nice folks, very into cars of all types. They have all kinds of stainless fasteners for almost every car. The prices are very reasonable, less the $10 for the water pump kit without the studs.

The studs are a Motormite item available at your local Advance Discount auto Parts store.

Motormite Water Pump Stud Kits for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks w/3.8L, 4.6L, 5.0L, 5.8L.



Part Number: 23744

1.) Remove the water pump, fan, fan shroud & radiator – you’ll need lots of room to get the drill positioned straight.
2.) Test fit the drill bushing in the timing cover housing – this assumes that the bolt broke off below the surface of the housing. If it is too loose, use some scotch tape wrapped around it to make a snug fit. The drill bushing helps center the drill bit up on the broken bolt so that it does not get off into the timing cover or engine block. If the bushing does not fit at least 3/8” into the timing cover, you may want to consider removing the timing cover and attacking the remnant of the bolt shank with a propane torch and Visegrips. If not, then find a drill bit big enough to drill off some of the remnant of the bolt shank until you can get the drill bushing in the required 3/8” or deeper into the timing cover housing. You will end up using the timing cover housing to center the large drill bit on the broken bolt shank. This is not the best plan, since the aluminum timing cover is soft and it would be easy to get the bit off center and damage the timing cover.
3.) Once you have the drill bushing in place, chuck up the drill bit and drill the broken bolt. Use lots of WD40 to cool the drill bit. If you break the drill bit off in the bolt, it is time for a tow trip the automotive machine shop. Drill bits and easy outs are extremely hard and cannot be removed by ordinary means. It takes a solid carbide bit and extreme care to remove a broken drill bit or broken easy out.
4.) When you have drilled about ½” into the broken bolt, then remove the drill bushing and use a hammer to tap the easy out into place. Then chuck up the easy out in a T handle tap wrench. Turn the tap wrench slowly counter clockwise and you will feel it dig into the broken bolt. If it starts to slip, tap on the tap wrench with the hammer to reseat the easy out into the bolt.
5.) Keep turning and one of three things will happen:
a.) The bolt will come out and your efforts will be rewarded.
b.) Or the easy out will continue to slip and more efforts will not make it grip. This means you get to remove the timing cover and attack the bolt remnant head on. That means you get to drill the bolt out to a thin shell & either re-tap the hole or install a helicoil threaded insert.
c.) Or worst of all, the easy out will break off it the bolt shank. The it is tow time to the automotive machine shop and pain in the wallet.