Water Pump Bolt From HELL!!!

[Fatty explorer]

Im Sure this subject has been overdone so many times Because these 5.0's are known for this but holy hell this is the worst water pump replacement ive ever had. I went in Strong with a positive Attitude and my Trusty Grape Soda. Every Bolt came out BeautifullyUntill the last one.....

I have Tried Absolutely Everything to either break the bolt off or get it to come loose: 3-in1, freeze-off, upside-down bottle of keyboard cleaner(freezing), heat, torch, hammer the stud in, Kano Kroil, PB Blaster, and yes ive doubled even tripple locked a nut on to jam the stud and back it out and all three nuts have stripped out. Yet the damn threads on the stud are unscathed!!!

This one single water pump bolt must be made from "Thor's Hammer"
I Am NOT Worthy!!!!!
any tips ? no i have not yet welded a nut on to the stud. its sort of my last resort.

 

[Sedition]

Mate, just use a nut splitter or cut the nut with a grinder or dremel.

 

[Fatty explorer]

from what ive been reading the bolt is probably seized in the timing cover.

 

[Wrench Head]

Use a Dremel to grind part of the nut off and it should split fairly easy after that.

 

[IndianaKenny]

I don't think that's a nut that can be split.... I think that's actually a bolt, with a threaded stud that allows an additional accessory, bracket, or something to be attached to the bolt after it's been tightened against the water pump.

 

[Wrench Head]

IndianaKenny, I think you may be right. Looks like its going to need replacing anyway, try applying heat to where it threads into the block,

 

[tmikes]

Try a pipe wrench. Try moving the pump up and down a little. But I thank your going to have to take a grinder or dremel to it like Sedition said. It is probably seized all the way through the timing cover. I have had same problem had to use dremel to it good luck

 

[SoHK_alumni]

Yep, this is one of those that is truly notorious for being a problem.

Try drilling a small hole or two into the timing chain cover directly over the bolt. The steel of the bolt will give a very different feel and speed to the drill, you only want to open up a passage way to get kroil or pb in.

Let the oil soak in keeping it "wet".

While waiting on the penetrating oil to do it's thing, try cutting just the the water pump off the bolt. It'll take some work with a dremmel or similar cut off tool but get the water pump gone.

Then, you can try some tapping on the head of the bolt to try and break up the corrosion in the timing cover enough to get it loosened up. And by tapping, I'm suggestion as big a hammer with as hard a swing as you can manage in that tight space without gettin wild and beating on the face of the timing cover!

Sadly, it's not unheard of to end up needing a replacement timing cover on these.

Or, if you're really talented with a dremmel, carve the hex head of the bolt round, thread it to match the protruding stud of the bolt and simply use a nut and washer to reinstall the water pump turning the bolt into a stud. I can't say it'd be a fun job, but it might save you a lot of grief if it saves you from breaking the bolt inside the timing cover or at the head and needing to strip things down a lot further.

 

[Fatty explorer]

well good news is i didnt have to replace the water pump. turns out my bypass hose had a very small hole simulating a water pump leak. lol so i never got that bolt out but i went and put everything back together. When the time comes i will drill a hole in the timing cover and let the hole soak in some good kroil for a day or two and then weld a nut on the threaded post and back that bad boy out of there.

 

[koda2000]

well good news is i didnt have to replace the water pump. turns out my bypass hose had a very small hole simulating a water pump leak. lol so i never got that bolt out but i went and put everything back together. When the time comes i will drill a hole in the timing cover and let the hole soak in some good kroil for a day or two and then weld a nut on the threaded post and back that bad boy out of there.

Getting to the rust is the key. I've found that spraying stuff on the bolt/nut head us useless as no product I've ever tried ever really get's into the threads. Drilling a hole in the timing cover to get the penetrant where it's needed might work. With as many things as you've tried, I surprised you haven't broken the bolt/stud off. Where you using grade 8 nuts when they stripped off? I find using and impact wrench on the lowest setting and working the offending bolt back and forth often gets stubborn, rusted bolts to come out w/out breaking them.

 

[Turdle]

I found that rotating the bolt back and forth for about 2 hours finally got it out. Tighten a little, loosen a little, tighten it back, loosen it a little further--repeat about 456 times.

Rust gathers on the inside end of the bolt, making it larger in diameter than the hole in the timing cover. You'l discover this when you do finally get that bolt loosened. When you do go back in, remove that bolt first, as the other bolts being tightened might relieve just enough tension from the stuck one to help free it.

 

[Fatty explorer]

well the truck only has 82,000 original miles and im guessing the water pump wont be going out for at least another 10,000? maybe? not too sure havent done the research yet. but i think ill just go straight in and grind the bolt off or saw it off and pull everything off then use those Black oxide covered mustang 5.0 waterpump bolts and coat them in anti-seize.

 

[Fatty explorer]

I found that rotating the bolt back and forth for about 2 hours finally got it out. Tighten a little, loosen a little, tighten it back, loosen it a little further--repeat about 456 times.

Rust gathers on the inside end of the bolt, making it larger in diameter than the hole in the timing cover. You'l discover this when you do finally get that bolt loosened. When you do go back in, remove that bolt first, as the other bolts being tightened might relieve just enough tension from the stuck one to help free it.

"456 times" lol seems about right!