Water pump removal tips or tricks wanted

[jeepstar]

Trying to remove the water pump to install the new shorter one, 2 of the 5 little bolts snapped of with minimal effort. Moving on to the larger bolts, 2 came out easy, 2 are being bears.

The threads are so far away from the bolt tip, not sure even getting them red hot would reach down there. Probably just snap the heads off.

Certainly not the first guy this has happened to?

 

[53A1]

I usually research to see if they go into a coolant passage. Those type usually don't come out. In that case sometimes it's easier to cut the head off the bolt and work the pump off with penetrant. Once you have the pump off you can cut it short and gas or tig weld a nut on it. Get it cherry red where you weld on the nut. Quench with penetrant. I've had incredible success doing this.

If it snaps off inside the threaded hole, it's a pain. There's a video online where a guy makes a liner and welds inside to bond to the shank that is below the surface. I'd avoid getting to this point as much as you can.

Sometimes they snap off and leave some shank to work with and in that case go directly to method #1.

It looks like one of the large bolt broke off near the surface so you still have the shank on it and you have one more to go.

 

[Fireball]

The long bolts thread into the coolant passages on the block, but it's not usually the threads that get stuck. They end up corroding along the shank between the steel bolt and aluminum front cover sqeezing the bolt so it won't turn. I've had luck with penetrant, and using a MAPP gas torch to heat the front cover along the length of the bolts. Keep heating, adding penetrant, and slowly rotating the bolt back and forth without too much force. Patience will often pay off. Do the same with vice grips on the shanks of your broken bolts once the water pump is off. Heat penetrant, and patience.

 

[PeteL]

The long bolts thread into the coolant passages on the block, but it's not usually the threads that get stuck. They end up corroding along the shank between the steel bolt and aluminum front cover sqeezing the bolt so it won't turn. I've had luck with penetrant, and using a MAPP gas torch to heat the front cover along the length of the bolts. Keep heating, adding penetrant, and slowly rotating the bolt back and forth without too much force. Patience will often pay off. Do the same with vice grips on the shanks of your broken bolts once the water pump is off. Heat penetrant, and patience.

"Patience" can mean giving it several very careful small sessions over several days, IMHO.

 

[jeepstar]

think i got them.

sprayed the bolt heads with a penetrant. hit the bolt heads hard with a hammer, walked away for 30 minutes.

took a torch and heated where the threads looked like would be based on the two longer bolts i removed.

tightened them first, then tried to loosen. then tight then loose. spray more penetrant, walked away.

20 minutes later, they loosened up, so i spun them out until the threads seemed to be out of the threaded area. they now freely spin in place. sprayed more penetrant down the bolt shaft, spin a few times, and let sit overnight.

after work today i will hopefully finish removing them and get the water pump off.

 

[Fireball]

think i got them.

sprayed the bolt heads with a penetrant. hit the bolt heads hard with a hammer, walked away for 30 minutes.

took a torch and heated where the threads looked like would be based on the two longer bolts i removed.

tightened them first, then tried to loosen. then tight then loose. spray more penetrant, walked away.

20 minutes later, they loosened up, so i spun them out until the threads seemed to be out of the threaded area. they now freely spin in place. sprayed more penetrant down the bolt shaft, spin a few times, and let sit overnight.

after work today i will hopefully finish removing them and get the water pump off.

Nice job!

 

[jeepstar]

Water pumps off, 2 broken bolts are left to remove

 

[sterlclan]

the welded nut trick works I use canning wax on the hot bolts instead of penetrating juice