broke the d#$n water pump bolt

Devin & Amy · March 13, 2007, 08:34:33 PM

Hi all,
How do you get a rusty bolt out of the block? The top bolt on the water pump just turned right off. I have about 3/8" to work with. I have tried to use a pipewrench but no luck. any secrets out there?

Devin

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · March 13, 2007, 08:51:18 PM

Hi devin,

I would first try to heat it with a torch. If that don't work, rustbuster penetrating oil...

If all else fails, cut it off, drill it, and an easy out should do it.

All in all, not too difficult if you take your time.

Good Luck
Nick-

Barn Owl · March 13, 2007, 08:52:36 PM

Heat it and get it good and hot. If it is broken off flush with the block you can weld a nut onto it and try to back it out. This could be difficult if you are in a campsite. Do you have a towing service? Worst case is to get to a garage. Nothing sucks more than to have a job get more complicated than it should have been. I feel for you.

JimC · March 13, 2007, 08:54:49 PM

The best luck I have had in situations like that would be to weld a nut onto the bolt, then turn it out. the heat from welding the head on will (should) allow you to break it loose. If you are not a very good welder, try to find someone that is.
JimCallaghan

prevost82 · March 13, 2007, 09:19:19 PM

I agree with Jim weld a nut on. Removes the most stubborn bolts
Ron

NJT 5573 · March 13, 2007, 10:50:34 PM

Devin, think if you broke a water pump bolt it can just become a pilot bolt ontil you slide the pump off of it.

kyle4501 · March 14, 2007, 07:06:22 AM

Yep, Heat is your best friend at getting those rusty water pump bolts out.

I had to keep re-heating a bolt like that once. As it cooled off while I was backing it out, it would stick again, so I welded on it some more to heat her up. It came out clean & didn't hurt the threads in the block.

I'll bet Dallas will be glad to help. But if you invite him to the party, you might not be able to do any of the work

BTW, that bolt needed replacing anyway

Happycampersrus · March 14, 2007, 07:41:13 AM

Hold up fellas,

Before you get to wild with the heat be careful, that cover the bolt broke off in is ALUMINUM. Try PB blaster if you can get visegrips on it, let it soak then hit the end of the bolt with a hammer(not so hard as to try and break something) while trying to turn it out.

This happens alot due to dissimilar metal contact corrosion and is the perfect place for Never-seize.

HTH,
Dale

Lee Bradley · March 14, 2007, 08:35:51 AM

Quote from: Happycampersrus on March 14, 2007, 07:41:13 AM
Hold up fellas,

Before you get to wild with the heat be careful, that cover the bolt broke off in is ALUMINUM. Try PB blaster if you can get visegrips on it, let it soak then hit the end of the bolt with a hammer(not so hard as to try and break something) while trying to turn it out.

This happens alot due to dissimilar metal contact corrosion and is the perfect place for Never-seize.

HTH,
Dale

As opposed to .... Nope not going there.

Barn Owl · March 14, 2007, 08:39:57 AM

I agree to hit it HARD

with a hammer. I have had some success with that as well.

kyle4501 · March 14, 2007, 12:44:37 PM

My experience with heating stuck bolts was with a cast iron block.

My experience in removing bolts seized in aluminum involves drills & taps at best. At worst there is lots of cussing & throwing things after the alum part breaks just as I thought it was finally coming out correctly.

Yes this is a great place to use the proper antiseize product (this bolted joint is not under the high stress cyclic loading that tends to loosen bolted joints

).

wrench · March 14, 2007, 05:03:41 PM

I would try PB blaster & hamering it, most auto part, lowes, H.D. carry those left conical socket made by Irwin, they wil take that out if you got 3/8" protusing keep 1/8" for the socket to bite in it.
That's a quite a haul to drive SC from fort Myers for a bolt!!
good luck wrench

butch · March 14, 2007, 05:10:37 PM

I have a lot of practice removing broken bolts from aluminum castings (and die castings as well). I rebuild aluminum water pumps for antique cars.

Some of them use 1/4 in bolts into aluminum castings, some of them use 10-32 machine screws into die cast housings and NOBODY used anti-seize on any of them.

I use a TIG welder to weld a nut over what ever is left of the bolt and I don't spare the amperage! The idea is to put as much heat in the bolt shank as possible, the nut helps protect the casting and then get it to move at least slightly.

The extreme heat expands the bolt shank slightly and compressed the corrosion and aluminum, when it cools it contracts and makes the removal much easier.

I salvage a lot of castings this way, so this is my experience although, your mileage may vary.

Butch Williams, 1987 MC9

jjrbus · March 14, 2007, 05:14:08 PM

http://idisk.mac.com/forever4/Public/pages/studremoval.htm HTH

I use anti sieze on everything I put together!! Now that I have been to the Permatex website I even know where to use which antisieze

Devin & Amy · March 14, 2007, 05:56:23 PM

Hi all,

Thanks for all of the great ideas. I was extremely lucky with the removal.
I used a bernzomatic torch and PB blaster three times in rapid order. The real hero was this little gizmo I bought at the parts store, it is a camlock type devive for grabbing on to the protruding bolt and using 1/2" rachet to remove.
It came out a little tight but no damage to the threads.
WHEW!!!

Thanks,
Devin