Stuck water pump
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 1
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Stuck water pump
Hey guys, this is a 1994 f150. I bought it with a faulty water pump with the plan to just replace it. The 2 leftmost bolts are broken and I can’t get this water pump off. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am ready to just quit.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 946
Likes: 186
From: Carnation, Wah
Heat and patience. lots of both... and the best penetrant you can find.
Heat it, soak it, tap on it with a hammer, let it cool, repeat.
The only thing to NOT do is use an 'easy- out' as it will just break off and make your life worse.
The water pump studs are a terrible design for places that have ANY rust.
Things around here don't rust much- and mine looked like yours when
I went to take it off. People who can unbolt the pumps live in the desert.
Your goal is to get the pump off any way you can so that you can VERY CAREFULLY try
to get the studs out of the timing cover. I failed at one, and had to drill and re- tap it. THAT really sucked.
So if you end up cutting the pump off of the studs, well, that works.
t
we've all been here...
Heat it, soak it, tap on it with a hammer, let it cool, repeat.
The only thing to NOT do is use an 'easy- out' as it will just break off and make your life worse.
The water pump studs are a terrible design for places that have ANY rust.
Things around here don't rust much- and mine looked like yours when
I went to take it off. People who can unbolt the pumps live in the desert.
Your goal is to get the pump off any way you can so that you can VERY CAREFULLY try
to get the studs out of the timing cover. I failed at one, and had to drill and re- tap it. THAT really sucked.
So if you end up cutting the pump off of the studs, well, that works.
t
we've all been here...
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 739
Likes: 256
From: Zimmerman, MN
Also, don't try to wedge something behind the pump to pry ("force") it free, as that just risks damaging the TC cover.
As long as all of the bolts are out, like Toby said: heat, time, and patience.
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 12,324
Likes: 1,301
From: Central Mississippi
I got one off that bad once. Took about 2 weeks being delicate & meticulous.
Used to have pics & it was on an engine stand.
You're replacing the pump, you're replacing the hardware.
Next time, I'm breaking out the cutting disc & leaving as much bolt as possible.
Used to have pics & it was on an engine stand.
You're replacing the pump, you're replacing the hardware.
Next time, I'm breaking out the cutting disc & leaving as much bolt as possible.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,449
Likes: 5,518
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
i would cut the pump housing bosses and bolts as close to the timing cover as possible without doing damage to anything else, but leaving enough bolt to grip onto to help in removing it.
it will also make removing the pump from the bolt stud a whole lot easier.
it will also make removing the pump from the bolt stud a whole lot easier.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 5,219
Likes: 804
Can you safely use a punch with a sharp edge on that area if you can create a shallow cut on the water pump boss? like the surface of the block wont break in easily there right? one way to help if you cant control a grinder or reach enough to get through it
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 89
Likes: 5
From: Central New Jersey
Just throwing this out there, it is hard to tell from the photo, but does that stud on the right side have a bolt head on it? The part where it goes against the water pump? These can be tough,good luck!
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,449
Likes: 5,518
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
as the timing cover is aluminum, i would not use a punch because any impact could damage the housing.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 5,219
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the water pump is on top the timing cover? I thought it was below , or you mean you could accidently strike it
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 5,772
Likes: 442
I can't tell ya how many SBF's I've pulled in order to get the water pump bolts out.....
They normally break with lots of shaft remaining, so if you can get the water pump itself off....you might be able to weld a nut onto the shaft and give it another go. It sucks, but one way or another, you'll get it out with determination
They normally break with lots of shaft remaining, so if you can get the water pump itself off....you might be able to weld a nut onto the shaft and give it another go. It sucks, but one way or another, you'll get it out with determination
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,793
Likes: 1,009
I ran across this when I replaced my coolant pump [before it failed]. I was so glad I did it in the comforts of my own shop with all the tools.
A second the idea of just busting the front cover apart. With my problem, the steel bolts were rusted and swollen into the aluminum housing. Once I broke the aluminum housing cover where it surrounds the bolts, I found the bolt was seized because of corrosion/rust not because the threads were seized into the block.
Just bite the bullet and plan to remove everything. Maybe even throw in a timing chain while everything is apart. If not, expect to waste hours trying to save parts that you will ruin anyway.
The thermostat bolts were seized at the threads in the intake manifold. That took a fair amount of work to prevent damaging the manifold.
A second the idea of just busting the front cover apart. With my problem, the steel bolts were rusted and swollen into the aluminum housing. Once I broke the aluminum housing cover where it surrounds the bolts, I found the bolt was seized because of corrosion/rust not because the threads were seized into the block.
Just bite the bullet and plan to remove everything. Maybe even throw in a timing chain while everything is apart. If not, expect to waste hours trying to save parts that you will ruin anyway.
The thermostat bolts were seized at the threads in the intake manifold. That took a fair amount of work to prevent damaging the manifold.
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 739
Likes: 256
From: Zimmerman, MN
And based on experience, as well.
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 12,324
Likes: 1,301
From: Central Mississippi
Solid to the waterpump gussets & timing cover passages.
Last one I got off, I used a sharpened spoke, giant safety pin, heat & chems.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,793
Likes: 1,009
Without a doubt, all of them doesn't make the job easy. My #1 tip is never strip/break the head of the bolt. Once that happens, the job gets real difficult. With front covers, just break them. Bite the bullet. The cover is not that difficult to do.
The cars I work on do not have the aluminum to steel issue. Not certain if it is the quality of aluminum but that is what I believe. To keep the costs down, I suspect the Japanese [which really has this problem] and the American just use cheap aluminum in their castings. When I start to assembly my 408 build, I will be using anti seize not only on the threads, but also on the shaft of the bolts.
The cars I work on do not have the aluminum to steel issue. Not certain if it is the quality of aluminum but that is what I believe. To keep the costs down, I suspect the Japanese [which really has this problem] and the American just use cheap aluminum in their castings. When I start to assembly my 408 build, I will be using anti seize not only on the threads, but also on the shaft of the bolts.
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Small update...
Small update here.. unfortunately we broke off the last stud this morning. https://i.imgur.com/KlZd0dw.jpeg