A lot of us have struggled with water pump removal. The classic problem is a bolt, or bolts that are stuck and refuse to budge.
Even the best of us get forgetful or in a hurry and forget the preventive fix for this problem. It is lots of Never-Seez applied to the bolt shanks and threads. I was one of those people, who forgot their own best advice.
I got all the bolts out without much problem except the upper one by the lower radiator hose. It was stuck - realty stuck. Rocking the bolt back and forth proved useless, So did tapping on the wrench handle with a rubber mallet. Now it is serious prayer and thought time, so I paused in my efforts and did both. The answer was PB Blaster - that's simple and obvious enough. But how do you get PB Blaster inside where the rust and corrosion is when the bolt is in the engine block behind the timing cover? Here's where divine inspiration and some tools left over from my days as an A&P aircraft mechanic.
That is a 12" long #40 (3/32") drill bit.
This is where it gets used;
This is the result;
Stick the soda straw on the PB Blaster in the holes and squirt away. Wait a little bit and squirt some more. Rock the bolt back and forth. squirt some more...The bolt starts to turn without excessive force, squirt some more. Then with a 1/2" ratchet, it begins to wrench out without any problems.
The offending bolt; notice the necked down part just above the threads. That is where the bolt would have sheared off if brute force had been applied.
A couple of dabs of JB Weld will cover the holes and keep out any moisture.
Even the best of us get forgetful or in a hurry and forget the preventive fix for this problem. It is lots of Never-Seez applied to the bolt shanks and threads. I was one of those people, who forgot their own best advice.
I got all the bolts out without much problem except the upper one by the lower radiator hose. It was stuck - realty stuck. Rocking the bolt back and forth proved useless, So did tapping on the wrench handle with a rubber mallet. Now it is serious prayer and thought time, so I paused in my efforts and did both. The answer was PB Blaster - that's simple and obvious enough. But how do you get PB Blaster inside where the rust and corrosion is when the bolt is in the engine block behind the timing cover? Here's where divine inspiration and some tools left over from my days as an A&P aircraft mechanic.
That is a 12" long #40 (3/32") drill bit.
This is where it gets used;
This is the result;
Stick the soda straw on the PB Blaster in the holes and squirt away. Wait a little bit and squirt some more. Rock the bolt back and forth. squirt some more...The bolt starts to turn without excessive force, squirt some more. Then with a 1/2" ratchet, it begins to wrench out without any problems.
The offending bolt; notice the necked down part just above the threads. That is where the bolt would have sheared off if brute force had been applied.
A couple of dabs of JB Weld will cover the holes and keep out any moisture.
Last edited:
